Louisiana governor signs executive order requiring disclaimer barring noncitizens from voting

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed an executive order on Monday requiring state executive agencies to provide a disclaimer on voter registration forms stating that noncitizens are barred from registering to vote and voting.

Voting in federal elections is limited to US citizens by federal law. Voting in any elections in Louisiana is also limited by Article 1, Section 10 of the Louisiana Constitution. The disclaimer would state, “The Louisiana Constitution prohibits non-citizens from registering and voting. Therefore, it is illegal for non-citizens to register and vote in Louisiana.”

The executive order was signed in response to a large number of undocumented immigrants under the Biden-Harris administration. The executive order expresses concern for a resulting large number of undocumented immigrants voting in elections and it states, “[A]ny vote cast unlawfully is a dilution of the votes cast by individuals lawfully registered to vote in the United States[.]”

Governor Landry shared in a press conference that the US from its inception has welcomed immigrants, but the federal government has created a broken immigration system. Yet, he said that those facts cannot allow Louisiana to ignore immigration law. He elaborated, “[I]f we do, we disrespect all the great immigrants who came to America, who followed the process, who became a citizen and did it the right way.” He also emphasized that citizenship is the foundation of a constitutional republic and that “[US] elections are a privilege reserved for American citizens because citizenship should mean something.” He further stated, “American citizens are expected to uphold the principles of liberty, democracy, rule of law, and individual rights, that form the foundation of our country. And how can one do that if one has broken the law when gaining access to this very country in the beginning?”

Landry’s executive order comes after the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Arizona’s election law requiring proof of citizenship.