Pro-Voter Groups Move to Join Louisiana’s Lawsuit Seeking Additional and Illegal Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote in Federal Elections

MONROE, LA. – Today a coalition of pro-voter organizations filed a motion to intervene as defendants in Louisiana v. EAC. On Tuesday, Louisiana filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Election Assistance Commission because the agency denied the state’s requests to modify the federal form — the national mail voter registration form used across the country.

Louisiana wants its state-specific instructions to require voters to provide extra information about their citizenship, such as a unique immigration number. These new requirements violate the National Voter Registration Act and are unnecessary and burdensome.

The motion to intervene was filed by the League of Women Voters of Louisiana, League of Women Voters of Louisiana Education Fund, League of Women Voters of the United States, League of Women Voters Education Fund, Voice of the Experienced, NAACP, Louisiana State Conference, and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice.

These organizations are represented by the ACLU, the ACLU of Louisiana, the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, Campaign Legal Center, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The coalition filing this motion to intervene shared the following statements:

“Louisiana is demanding a federal agency to rewrite the national voter registration form to impose new proof-of-citizenship requirements that Congress never authorized, threatening to turn a uniform federal safeguard into a vehicle for voter suppression. We stopped President Trump’s unlawful effort to force that result with an Executive Order, and we are now going to stop Louisiana from achieving it.” — Sophia Lin Lakin, ACLU Voting Rights Project director, ACLU
“This is Louisiana’s latest attempt to burden voter registration for all Louisianans. Instead of standing up for its voters, Louisiana is suing a neutral voter protection agency—the Election Assistance Commission--to ensure it can further limit voter registration. The Louisiana League has already filed a lawsuit to oppose the state’s discriminatory proof of citizenship law, and we are proud to continue the fight against its implementation.” — M. Christian Green, president of the League of Women Voters of Louisiana

“This lawsuit is a direct attack on voters and an attempt to weaponize both federal law and the court system to initiate illegal voter purges based on racist and xenophobic narratives. There is no credible evidence of widespread voter fraud, yet Louisiana is pushing burdensome proof-of-citizenship requirements that will inevitably block eligible Americans from registering to vote. The League of Women Voters is yet again stepping in and we will keep defending voters from laws and actors that seek to harm our democracy.” — Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters

“Adding burdensome proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal voter registration form is a solution in search of a problem, one that will disproportionately block elderly voters, rural residents, and low-income families who may not have immediate access to the specific documents demanded. The NAACP has fought for generations to remove obstacles to voting, not add new ones. We are intervening to fight back against this latest attempt to restrict Black Louisianans' ability to register and have their voices heard. On our watch, voter suppression will not be rebranded as election integrity.”— Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP

“Based on my service on various voter commissions for the State of Louisiana, the state does not have a voter fraud problem but a voter participation problem. More legislation needs to be done to make it easier for persons to have their voices heard and not suppressed.” — Michael McClanahan, NAACP Louisiana State Conference president

“Louisiana continues its attempt to suppress the voices of Black voters and other communities of color under the false pretense of protecting election integrity. Louisiana should be working to expand access to the ballot, not entrenching new forms of voter suppression. We joined this lawsuit because our communities deserve fairness, and the full protection of their rights.” — Ashley Shelton, Founder/CEO, Power Coalition for Equity and Justice (PCEJ)

“It was not that long ago when the federal Dept. of Justice would litigate against Louisiana’s deep history of disenfranchisement tactics and schemes. Unfortunately we are at a point in history where community organizations must stand up for the liberty and freedom this country claims to believe in.” — Bruce Reilly, Deputy Director, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE)

“Make no mistake: the state’s actions have nothing to do with voter integrity and everything to do with the disenfranchisement of the people,” said Nora Ahmed, legal director for the ACLU of Louisiana. “The manufactured issue of voter fraud is a weak justification for yet another attack on the rights of Louisianans. We are proud to stand with a powerful coalition of organizations on the right side of history. And Louisiana will relearn a lesson it seems determined to forget: you cannot suppress the will of the people.” — Nora Ahmed, legal director, ACLU of Louisiana
“The state of Louisiana wants to extend its burdensome proof-of-citizenship law to federal elections. This is an unnecessary and unlawful hurdle that would block many Louisianans from the ballot box.” — Eliza Sweren-Becker, Deputy Director of the Voting Rights and Elections program, Brennan Center for Justice

“Louisiana is attempting to command a federal agency to break its own rules — and we’re not letting it happen. Louisiana’s excessive efforts to require burdensome and unnecessary registration requirements for voters to make their voices heard are not only egregious, but they run afoul of federal laws intended to safeguard access to voter registration for all Americans. Almost a year ago, we sued to stop the implementation of the law in question, and the facts remain the same: The law is unconstitutionally vague and risks disproportionate harm to historically disenfranchised communities. We remain committed to safeguarding the freedom to vote for Louisiana voters.” — Danielle Lang, vice president of voting rights and the rule of law, Campaign Legal Center

“Thousands of Louisiana citizens potentially will lose the right to vote if the Louisiana Attorney General pushes this proposal through. Every voter in Louisiana should be concerned. This would hit voters of color and women voters especially hard. There's a very disturbing trend of politicians erecting unjustified barriers to voting that will make it more difficult for eligible voters to cast their ballots. The Lawyers' Committee runs the Election Protection Hotline with the help of several nonprofits and volunteer attorneys. We encourage voters to call or text the Election Protection Hotline with questions at 866-OUR-VOTE." — Robert Weiner, Voting Rights Project director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

“Once again, Louisiana is attempting to disenfranchise eligible Black and Brown voters. We refuse to stand idle as a right so many sacrificed their lives to secure is stripped away. The SPLC is proud to stand alongside the intervenors defending voting rights in Louisiana against those who are reviving the suppressive tactics of the Jim Crow era. We will continue to advocate for this constitutional right for all Louisianans.” — Bradley Heard, deputy legal director, Southern Poverty Law Center