Louisiana Voting Rights Act Heard before Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee

The Louisiana Voting Rights Act (LAVRA), introduced by Senator Royce Duplessis, was heard before the Louisiana Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee. Also known as SB 365, the LAVRA will act as a crucial safeguard for voters, particularly for Black voters and other voters of color that have faced extensive discrimination in the past.

The turnout for today’s hearing met the historic nature of the moment. There were over 150 green cards submitted in support and over 70 emails sent in favor of SB 365. The hearing room was completely full with attendees filling up three additional rooms.

This hearing also illustrates the growing momentum for increased voter protections across the South. Today was an historic moment as the Louisiana legislature seriously considered legislation designed to expand access to voting, not restrict it, at the same time that the U.S. Supreme Court is considering a request from this very state to silence Black voters’ voices. Louisiana is now the second state in the Deep South to hold a hearing on a State VRA, with Alabama having done so earlier this month, while similar bills were introduced in Mississippi, Florida, Texas, and Georgia in the past two years.

“Black voters in Louisiana have faced discrimination for the state’s entire history — it’s high time we enact protections to ensure all voters in our state have an equal opportunity to cast a ballot that will be counted and to do so on fair maps,” said Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund. “Everyone deserves the chance to participate in elections without facing discriminatory barriers to the ballot or having to worry about whether their vote will be weakened. Passage of the Louisiana VRA would be a crucial step to enact safeguards that will ensure fair access and representation become the bedrock of Louisiana’s democracy.”

“Voting is the foundation of our democracy, and this legislation is about making sure that foundation is strong for everyone,” said Senator Royce Duplessis. “The Louisiana Voting Rights Act will ensure that every voter, regardless of who they are or where they live, has a fair opportunity to participate and have their voice heard.”

“This hearing today is a victory because it affirms that a State VRA in Louisiana is not just aspirational, but possible,” said Ashley Shelton, Founder, President, and CEO of Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. “The great state of Louisiana can and should codify into law voting rights for all Louisianans. Today we mobilized for its first hearing, and we will be back, again and again until we achieve its final passage.”

With assaults on the right to vote coming from all angles — including discriminatory redistricting efforts, burdensome voter ID requirements, and polling site closures in predominantly Black neighborhoods — voter protections are critical, now more than ever. Key provisions of the LAVRA designed to protect all voters include:

• Prohibiting voter suppression by confronting threats to voter participation and access to voting opportunities that occur through discriminatory barriers to the ballot.
• Prohibiting vote dilution by protecting against district maps or election systems that weaken or silence black voices.
• Stopping voting discrimination before it occurs by requiring counties or cities with a history of discrimination to obtain approval before making changes to voting practices.
• Empowering voters to fight discrimination in court by allowing a state attorney general, individual voters, or related organizations to fight voting discrimination in state court.
• Creating a non-partisan, expert-driven Voting Rights Commission by establishing an independent body to administer an equitable pre-approval process and make coverage determinations for the language access program.

State Voting Rights Acts (SVRAs) are incredibly popular. 78% of voters across the country support their state legislators passing a State VRA. Louisiana can and should lead in protecting the right to vote and promoting inclusive democracy by adopting the LAVRA.

This legislation builds on the foundations of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as well as successful State Voting Rights Acts enacted in eight other states.

To learn more about the LAVRA, visit here.

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Founded in 1940, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) is the nation’s first civil rights legal organization. LDF has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957, though it was founded under the leadership of Thurgood Marshall while he was at the NAACP. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute (TMI) is a division of LDF that undertakes innovative research and houses LDF’s archive. In all media attributions, please refer to us as the Legal Defense Fund or LDF (do not include NAACP) and refer to the Institute as LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute or TMI.

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