Kyle Ardoin

January 5, 2021

apnews.com Sec. of State proposes similar Covid-19 election plan for Spring 2021 ballots

Melinda Deslatte reporting for the Associated Press:

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin wants to use the same expansion of absentee-by-mail voting that was in place for the summer and fall elections, including the November presidential competition.
Lawmakers on House and Senate oversight committees Tuesday will consider the package of COVID-19 emergency rules proposed by the Republican elections chief. If approved there, they advance to the full Legislature for a vote. In addition, the provisions would need the backing of Gov. John Bel Edwards to take effect.

News + Notes

October 23, 2020

After hurricanes, it’s harder than ever for Lake Charles’ Black residents to cast a ballot

A series of natural disasters — the pandemic and two hurricanes — could suppress Black voters in Southwest Louisiana.

News + Notes

May 6, 2020

COLUMN: With slight expansion of absentee balloting, Louisiana will test pandemic voting on low turnout primaries

Louisiana’s emergency election plan only applies to the July and August elections, though it could serve, if needed, as a foundation for an emergency plan for the November presidential election.

News + Notes

June 21, 2019

Appeals court OKs ordinance to fix charter amendment errors

The gist: In a whiplash decision, the Third Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed on Friday a district court ruling that upheld a fix to errors in the charter amendments passed to create separate city and parish councils. The three-judge panel, which heard oral arguments Wednesday, ruled against a legal challenge brought by a council candidate […]

News + Notes

May 29, 2019

Judge denies secretary of state’s request to suspend charter amendment ruling pending appeal

The gist: A district court judge denied the secretary of state’s request for a suspensive appeal, a procedure that would have paused the effect of his decision upholding City-Parish Council’s ordinance to fix errors in the amended charter.

News + Notes

May 9, 2019

Court dismisses charter amendment suit. Appeals expected but not yet filed.

The gist: A district court judge dismissed a legal challenge that threw into question last year’s vote to create separate city and parish councils, characterizing discrepancies in the voting precincts for the new form of government as “clerical errors.” In his Wednesday ruling, Judge John Trahan held that the City-Parish Council acted within its authority […]

News + Notes

February 27, 2019

Same battle lines redrawn on how to fix charter amendment boundary errors

The gist: An ordinance correcting errors in the legal descriptions of the new split council districts is under review by city-parish attorneys, with a report expected soon. Legal opinions on a fix have clashed along familiar political lines.

News + Notes

February 25, 2019

Secretary of state on charter boundary errors: I’d like a public vote, but you do you, Lafayette

The gist: The secretary of state washed his hands of the charter amendment mess, recommending an election to fix new city council district boundary errors but leaving the issue up to local authorities. City-Parish attorneys favor an ordinance, a solution the secretary worries could draw a lawsuit that would impact this fall’s elections.

News + Notes

February 22, 2019

Secretary of state says he can’t overturn the charter election, and the scramble continues

The gist: The secretary of state tossed fixing the charter amendment errors back to Lafayette officials, acknowledging he doesn’t have the authority to disqualify the election that created separate city and parish councils. But he predicted a suit would come if new elections aren’t held to address the mapping mistakes.

News + Notes

February 21, 2019

Council split may be thrown out for re-vote, flaring political tension

The gist: Only months to go before elections to seat new city and parish councils, and last fall’s vote to create the separate bodies may be thrown out. City and parish voting maps do not match underlying legal descriptions, an error of hasty work, which gives potential cause to invalidate the result.