Nationwide Study Answers 'How Honest are Louisiana's Elections?'

Washington DC based think tank the Heritage Foundation has rated Louisiana among the Top Ten states in the US for election integrity. The study analyzed the election laws of all 50 states and the District of Columbia and scored each state on protecting the security and integrity of elections at all levels. It also reviewed election laws and regulations in the states, pointing out where vulnerabilities exist and the best way to remedy those problems.

Secretary of state Kyle Ardoin oversees elections and voting in Louisiana. He says the high ranking by the Heritage Foundation is a testament to the hard work of his office, but of parish registrars and election workers across the state.

“(Louisiana) got perfect scores in restrictions on vote harvesting or trafficking, access of election observers, vote counting practices and registration on the same day, and automatic or mandatory voter registration, which we prevent,” Ardoin told Louisiana Radio Network, adding that Ardoin says few states have to overcome election schedule deviations due to natural disasters, but it’s something his people do regularly and well.

The conservative think tank's Election Scorecard rated the states for implementing voter ID, managing early, absentee and military voting, vote counting, and verification of identity and citizenship. Ardoin says it's a tribute to all involved that both Republicans and Democrats agree that Louisiana is doing a good job.

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In addition to Louisiana, nine other states received "A" grades. Those were Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.

The ten states receiving the lowest grades were Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Nebraska, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

In summing up the study, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said, "Americans need and deserve elections that they can trust. At a time when cynicism runs deep on both ends of the political spectrum, the need to protect the people’s elections, and to safeguard the value of every citizen’s vote, couldn’t be clearer.”