Even The Accused Have Voting Rights

Some violations of civil rights occur not by design but by situations unforeseen by the law’s designers. When this happens, the correct response is to fix the law without fuss.

That’s what Louisiana lawmakers should do in the case of people who are in jail, but not yet tried for alleged crimes, who are not allowed to vote. Unless and until they are convicted, their right to vote and their practical ability to do so must not be infringed.

Even if only a tiny subset of the population is denied its legal right to vote, provision must be made to preserve that right.

A group called Voice of the Experienced filed suit Dec. 12 in the state’s 19th Judicial District Court about this problem. State laws intended to guard against voter fraud require voters who register online or by mail to cast their ballots in person if they’ve never voted before. Exceptions are made for the disabled and military personnel deployed away from home, among others.

Whether such a restriction is wise or necessary is subject to debate, but a one-time in-person rule is no more unusual than a requirement for someone to show up in person for a first driver’s license. The civil rights problem arises only in the law’s