Challenging Louisiana’s Illegal Barriers for First Time Voters in Jail

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is representing Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) and an incarcerated first-time voter in a case challenging laws which bar eligible, first-time voters in East Baton Rouge jail from voting. Many people in jail are eligible to vote, such as those who are pre-trial or serving misdemeanors, which usually do not affect voting rights. This right to vote is protected under state and federal constitutions. But for some jailed voters in Louisiana, this constitutional promise is impossible to fulfill. Read more on this loophole that silences voters here.

EAST BATON ROUGE, La. — On Thursday, December 11, Campaign Legal Center (CLC), on behalf of Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) and an incarcerated first-time voter, filed a lawsuit challenging contradictory Louisiana laws that deny ballot access for first-time voters in jail, despite explicit constitutional protections guaranteeing them the right to vote.

Under the Louisiana Constitution, every eligible voter has the right to cast a ballot. That includes people in jail who are awaiting trial and presumed legally innocent, as well as those serving sentences for misdemeanor convictions that do not affect their voting rights.