Louisiana Governor Signs Early Voting Expansion
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed House Bill 286 into law, which expands early voting for presidential elections in the state. H.B. 286 was championed by Democrats in the Louisiana Legislature and will extend the early voting period from a week to 11 days in an effort to alleviate long wait times at the polls and difficulties casting in-person ballots, especially for Black voters across the state. Last year, Louisiana saw a record-breaking number of voters cast their ballots during the early-voting period.
After passing the state House and Senate with overwhelming majorities, Edwards signed the legislation into law on Wednesday, saying he was glad to see the state Legislature working together to increase ballot access in light of Republican voter suppression efforts across the country. “That’s not the case here in Louisiana, where we are now adding more early voting days for one of the most consequential and popular elections people vote in – the presidential election,” said Edwards in a statement.