A new Louisiana law requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote went into effect Jan. 1, but so far there’s no guidance on what documentation is needed.
While it’s already illegal for noncitizens to vote, the legislature passed SB 436 during the 2024 regular session, which requires that proof of U.S. citizenship be attached to a voter registration application.
The Secretary of State’s Office previously said they would examine best practices from other states, but to date they’ve given no instruction.
Michelle Kanter-Cohen with the Fair Elections Center, a national voting rights organization, said these requirements make it harder for those who are eligible to vote.
“We’ve seen that through other state’s implementations of this. There are very few states who have it, or that have had it. But what we’ve seen is that these requirements are expensive to get such as a passport, and make it harder for citizens to vote,” said Kanter-Cohen.
Kanter-Cohen said around 10% of eligible voting Americans do not have proof of citizenship.
“And those citizens are more likely to be women, low-income people and from communities of color,” said Kanter-Cohen
Examples of proof of citizenship are a birth certificate and/or a passport.
Passport fees range from $30 for a card to $160 for a book, and there’s a $35 Execuation/Acceptance fee. In Louisiana, the cost of a birth certificate is $15 and there’s an additional 50-cent fee for each mail-in or VitalChek order.
Previously, Louisiana voters checked a box attesting their citizenship.
Arizona's implementation of their proof of citizenship law faced numerous court battles. The law, which depended on information from Arizona's driver’s license system, proved to be flawed. For example, in Maricopa County the database which showed some individuals provided proof of citizenship when they applied for their driver’s license when they may not have.
Since 2022, the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office said 48 noncitizens have been removed from the voting rolls.
Kanter-Cohen said when noncitizens do vote, it’s extremely rare.
“And when it does happen, it’s often a mistake. There are extremely harsh consequences of deportation and prison time that really sufficiently deter non-citizens from voting.”
After the law was signed in June, Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry said they would examine best practices used in other states as to what would serve as proof of citizenship. To date, such guidance has not been issued.
Jan. 15 is the last day to register by mail to vote in the Feb. 15 election. The deadline to register through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Jan. 25.
The next statewide election is set for March 29, when voters will decide on constitutional amendments passed in the special session on tax reform.
