BATON ROUGE, La.— Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin issued the following statement after Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed House Bill 646 by Representative Les Farnum, which would enhance the annual voter canvass to ensure the accuracy of Louisiana’s voter rolls.
“The insistence by the governor that this process is unnecessary is blatantly partisan and ignores not only the recommendation of the nonpartisan Louisiana Legislative Auditor and election experts, but also the relevant testimony and real-life examples presented in committee. I believe preserving election integrity is the most important role of the Secretary of State, and my office and our local election partners need this statutory authority to uphold my duty to deliver safe, secure, and accurate elections to the people of Louisiana. I call on the legislature to convene a veto override session and consider H.B. 646. No other election integrity measure is more critical to our state at this juncture.”