Judge greenlights challenge to Louisiana anti-voting law, citing discrimination claims

A federal judge Tuesday allowed a pro-voting challenge to Louisiana’s proof-of-citizenship voter registration law to move forward, including claims that the law discriminates against voters based on national origin.

U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles, appointed by former President Barack Obama, rejected most of Louisiana officials’ efforts to dismiss the lawsuit challenging Act 500, previously known as Senate Bill 436, which requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration. 

Voting rights groups sued over the law last year, arguing that it creates unnecessary barriers to registration and violates federal law and the U.S. Constitution.

The ruling does not strike down Act 500 or block its enforcement. But it clears the way for the plaintiffs to continue litigating their constitutional claims at a critical point in the 2026 election cycle.

In particular, deGravelles found that the groups had plausibly alleged that officials in Lafayette Parish discriminated against some registration applicants based on national origin by requesting documentation proving their citizenship.

The allegations center on Lafayette Parish’s handling of voter registration applications.

According to the plaintiffs’ amended complaint, the parish registrar told the secretary of state’s office in April 2025 that it had received an electronic application from a voter whose place of birth was Guatemala and sent the applicant a letter seeking proof of citizenship. The registrar said the office would normally request documents such as a U.S. passport, naturalization papers or a birth certificate from an applicant born abroad.

Louisiana officials dispute the plaintiffs’ characterization of that practice. 

In seeking dismissal, they argued that Lafayette Parish processed applications even when the citizenship question was left blank and that sending applicants information about Act 500 did not amount to requiring proof as a condition of registration.

But deGravelles concluded that the allegations were sufficient to proceed past the dismissal stage. He also rejected Louisiana’s argument that the constitutional dispute was premature.

“The Court finds the remaining claims—the Constitutional challenges—are ripe because of Lafayette Parish’s requests for proof of citizenship,” deGravelles wrote. “Consequently, the [motion to dismiss] is denied.”

The judge separately allowed the plaintiffs’ claim that Act 500 is unconstitutionally vague to proceed, finding they had plausibly alleged that the law does not adequately explain how people registering to vote can comply with it.

The ruling was not a complete victory for the pro-voting plaintiffs, however. 

DeGravelles dismissed four claims brought under the National Voter Registration Act, finding that a January 2025 notice letter sent before the lawsuit did not identify an existing violation of the federal law. The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning the groups may try to cure that procedural problem and revive the claims.

Whether the constitutional challenge will produce a ruling blocking Act 500 before the midterm elections remains uncertain. Tuesday’s order did not grant an injunction or establish a schedule for deciding the merits of the case.

That leaves a tight election calendar. Louisiana’s deadline to register by mail or in person for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5, while the online registration deadline is Oct. 13. Early voting begins Oct. 20.

Earlier in the litigation, the court stayed discovery while it considered Louisiana’s sovereign immunity defense and said the parties could seek a new scheduling conference once the dismissal motions were resolved. DeGravelles rejected the immunity argument Tuesday, removing that threshold obstacle but leaving further litigation necessary before the court could ultimately invalidate or block the law.