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View election results for Jan. 12 election.

View qualified candidates for Feb. 23 election.

The Secretary of State's Office will be closed Monday, Jan. 21 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will re-open on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

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Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding voters in Union Parish that Saturday, Jan. 12 is Election Day. The only race on the ballot is for the District 3 alderman in the Town of Bernice.

In preparation for Saturday’s Election Day activities, Secretary Ardoin is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.GeauxVote.com.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, a generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport or a digital license via LA Wallet). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile or the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

For more information, contact our Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Feb. 23, 2019 Special Primary Election

Special Primary Election for State Representative, 12th, 17th, 18th, 26th, 27th, 47th and 62nd Representative Districts (Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lincoln, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Union, Vermilion, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes)

The following is important information for the Feb. 23, 2019 Special Primary Election:

The qualifying period is Jan. 9-11. Local and municipal candidates qualify with the clerk of court in the parish in which they are registered to vote (contact your local clerk of court for office hours). State candidates qualify in the executive offices of Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin at 8585 Archives Ave. in Baton Rouge between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Qualifying fees must be paid in the form of cash; certified or cashier's check on a state or national bank or credit union; U.S. postal money order; or money order issued by a state or national bank or credit union and must be accompanied by the qualifying form.
The deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Jan. 23.
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Feb. 2.
Early voting is Feb. 9-16, except Sunday, Feb. 10, from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Feb. 19 by 4:30 p.m. Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through their Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted mail ballot is Feb. 22 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).

List of absentee by mail and early voters

Act 425 of the 2018 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature requires that lists of absentee by mail and early voters be posted on the secretary of state's website.

The names of voters includes those who voted in person during early voting and those whose absentee ballots have been received by the registrar of voters. This list of voters does not account for subsequent changes, if any, made by a registrar. Those changes will be found on the cumulative report at the end of early voting.

Early voting begins Saturday for Jan. 12 election

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR JAN. 12 ELECTION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is encouraging all eligible Louisianians to consider voting early in the special general election in Union Parish. Early voting begins Friday, Dec. 28 and continues through Saturday, Jan. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Dec. 30, Monday, Dec. 31 and Tuesday, Jan. 1. Voters will be electing an alderman in District 3 in the Town of Bernice.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at the parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations, visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

In addition to a Louisiana driver’s license, a Louisiana Special ID or a generally recognized ID with picture and signature, voters may now use a digital license via LA Wallet, the new smartphone app by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Poll commissioners have received training regarding the digital license as an acceptable form of picture ID.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800.883.2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Holiday museum closures

Delta Music Museum
Thursday, Dec. 27-Friday, Dec.28

Louisiana State Cotton Museum
Monday, Dec. 17-Wednesday, Jan. 2

Louisiana's Old State Capitol
Saturday, Dec. 22-Tuesday, Jan. 15

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding everyone that Saturday, Dec. 8 is Election Day. There are 134 candidate runoffs in 47 parishes across the state. Of the remaining 17 parishes, eight only have secretary of state on the ballot and nine have secretary of state and a proposition on the ballot.

In preparation for Saturday’s Election Day activities, Secretary Ardoin is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.GeauxVote.com.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, a generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport or a digital license via LA Wallet). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile or the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

“We’re expecting turnout to be around 18 to 20 percent. Even though congressional elections are over, there are still important candidate races and propositions on the ballot. I hope every Louisiana voter will participate in tomorrow’s election.”

For more information, contact our Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s office will test its electronic election results system on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 2 p.m. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state’s website. These election results are only for testing purposes and do not reflect any actual results.

In preparation for election night, media outlets should reserve their seat at the Secretary of State’s Office if they are interested in watching results via our Elections Registration Information Network. This seat can also serve as a backup for your election night plans.

If any issues are encountered, to sign up for the XML feed or to reserve a seat at ERIN, please contact Brandee Patrick in the Communications Office at 225.362.5111 (office), 225.328.2977 (cell) or brandee.patrick@sos.la.gov.

Finally, the Communications Office for Election Day will be staffed by Public Information Director Brandee Patrick and Press Secretary Tyler Brey. Patrick can be reached at the information listed above. Brey can be reached at 225.362.5086 (office), 443.605.7870 (cell) or tyler.brey@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Tomorrow last day for early voting in Dec. 8 election

TOMORROW LAST DAY FOR EARLY VOTING IN DEC. 8 ELECTION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding all eligible voters to take advantage of early voting. The last day of early voting will be Saturday, Dec. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Many Louisianians have already cast their ballot during early voting ahead of Election Day,” said Secretary Ardoin. “While mid-term congressional elections are decided, I still encourage all Louisianians to exercise their right to vote.”

There are 134 candidate runoffs in 47 parishes across the state. Of the remaining 17 parishes, eight only have secretary of state on the ballot and nine have secretary of state and a proposition on the ballot.

Election Day for the open general/special primary is Saturday, Dec. 8 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800.883.2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Early voting begins Saturday for Dec. 8 election

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR DEC. 8 ELECTION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is encouraging all eligible Louisianians to consider voting early in the open general/special primary election. Early voting begins Saturday, Nov. 24 and continues through Saturday, Dec. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Nov. 25.

“The holidays are here, so many voters will need to take advantage of early voting due to additional commitments,” said Secretary Ardoin. “Voters don’t need an excuse to take advantage of early voting, and I hope they will remember the importance of their vote.”

Election Day for the open general/special primary is Saturday, Dec. 8 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800.883.2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Dec. 8, 2018 Open General/Congressional/Special Primary Election

The following is important information for the Dec. 8, 2018 Open General/Congressional/Special Primary Election:

The deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Nov. 7.
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Nov. 17.
Early voting is Nov. 24-Dec. 1 (except Sunday, Nov. 25) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Dec. 4 by 4:30 p.m. Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted mail ballot is Dec. 7 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).

Upcoming Elections

Dec. 8, 2018
Open General/Congressional/Special Primary
Jan. 12, 2019
Special General
Feb. 23, 2019
Special Primary
March 30, 2019
Municipal Primary
May 4, 2019
Municipal General
Oct. 12
Gubernatorial Primary
Nov. 16
Gubernatorial General

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding everyone that Tuesday, Nov. 6 is Election Day. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for a variety of candidate races as well as constitutional amendments and propositions statewide. Since this is a Tuesday election, the polls open at 6 a.m.

In preparation for Tuesday’s Election Day activities, Secretary Ardoin is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.GeauxVote.com.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, a generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport or a digital license via LA Wallet). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile or the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

“Statewide turnout is only anticipated to reach between 30 and 35 percent, so I’m strongly urging voters in Louisiana to get out and cast a ballot in this important election,” said Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. “Choosing congressional and statewide representation is critical to our state and something we should all weigh in on by voting.”

For more information, contact our Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Nov. 6, 2018 Open Primary/Congressional Election

The following is important information for the Nov. 6, 2018 Open Primary/Congressional Election:

The deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Oct. 9. (Deadline advanced one day because of Columbus Day holiday.)
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Oct. 16.
Early voting is Oct. 23-30 (except Sunday, Oct. 28) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Nov. 2 by 4:30 p.m. Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted mail ballot is Nov. 5 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin’s office will test its electronic election results system on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state’s website. These election results are only for testing purposes and do not reflect any actual results.

Media outlets are strongly urged to test their election night broadcast systems, graphics and websites so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the secretary of state’s IT staff prior to election night.

In preparation for election night, media outlets should reserve their seat at the Secretary of State’s Office if they are interested in watching results via our Elections Registration Information Network. This seat can also serve as a backup for your election night plans.

If any issues are encountered, to sign up for the XML feed or to reserve a seat at ERIN, please contact Brandee Patrick in the Communications Office at 225.362.5111 (office), 225.328.2977 (cell) or brandee.patrick@sos.la.gov.

Finally, the Communications Office for Election Day will be staffed by Public Information Director Brandee Patrick and Press Secretary Tyler Brey. Patrick can be reached at the information listed above. Brey can be reached at 225.362.5086 (office), 443.605.7870 (cell) or tyler.brey@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Tomorrow last day for early voting in fall primary election

TOMORROW LAST DAY FOR EARLY VOTING IN FALL PRIMARY ELECTION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding all eligible voters to take advantage of early voting. The last day of early voting will be Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“Many Louisianians have already cast their ballot during early voting ahead of Election Day,” said Secretary Ardoin. “These are important mid-term elections, and I encourage all Louisianians to exercise their right to vote.”

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. Voters can also access this information in our Voter Portal by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov. Across the state, ballot items include candidate races, constitutional amendments and local and parish propositions.

In addition to a Louisiana driver’s license, a Louisiana Special ID or a generally recognized ID with picture and signature, voters may now use LA Wallet, the new smartphone app by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Poll commissioners have received training regarding the digital license as an acceptable form of picture ID.

Election Day for the open general/congressional/special primary is Saturday, Dec. 8.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800.883.2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Early voting begins tomorrow for fall election cycle

EARLY VOTING BEGINS TOMORROW FOR FALL ELECTION CYCLE

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is encouraging all eligible Louisianians to consider voting early in the open primary/congressional election. Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 23 and continues through Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Oct. 28.

“Since Election Day is on a Tuesday, many voters will need to take advantage of early voting due to weekday commitments,” said Secretary Ardoin. “Voters don’t need an excuse to take advantage of early voting, and I hope they will remember the importance of their vote.”

Election Day for the open general/congressional/special primary is Saturday, Dec. 8.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800.883.2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary Ardoin confirms no breach of voter registration database

SECRETARY ARDOIN CONFIRMS NO BREACH OF VOTER REGISTRATION DATABASE

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is confirming that there has been no breach to Louisiana’s voter registration system, the Elections Registration Information Network. Because the system has not been compromised, no personally identifying information has been released.

Allegations of Louisiana’s statewide voter registration list being sold on the Dark Web surfaced this week. Our office, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, verified that the list is a commercially available document anyone can purchase from our office. This list does not include any private, identifiable information.

“Our priority, as we’ve demonstrated in the past, will always be to protect voters’ personal information,” Secretary Ardoin said. “In no uncertain terms has Louisiana’s voter registration database been breached, and it remains my priority to ensure it doesn’t happen on my watch.”

The Secretary of State’s Office is constantly working to strengthen security in all areas of elections including physical and cyber security. Secretary Ardoin recently created a new position, chief information security officer, to continue our quest to protect Louisiana’s voters. We have also established relationships with federal partners to keep abreast on security related issues and share best practices.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary Ardoin takes action to allow first responders to vote

SECRETARY ARDOIN TAKES ACTION TO ALLOW FIRST RESPONDERS TO VOTE

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is taking action to allow first responders to exercise their right to vote due to their absence in response to Hurricane Michael. La. R.S. 18:1308(A)(j)(ii) gives the secretary of state the authority to take all actions necessary to allow registered voters, who are unable to vote during early voting or on Election Day due to out-of-state work relating to a declared emergency, the chance to vote.

“As chief elections officer, it’s my duty to make sure every registered voter in Louisiana has the opportunity to vote,” Secretary Ardoin said. “These first responders are helping rebuild communities in other states, leaving their families behind. I want to thank them for their service and assure them that their vote matters.”

First responders will need to contact the Secretary of State’s Office to request an absentee by mail ballot. The deadline for first responders to request an absentee ballot is Monday, Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m. A voted ballot must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 6.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800.883.2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Securing Your Vote

The Secretary of State's Office has produced a poster entitled "Securing Your Vote." The poster provides an overview of Louisiana's election process, gives examples of cybersecurity threats and mitigation and outlines how to recognize and report an incident. Aside from being posted here on our website, the posters will be at all clerks of court offices, registrars of voters offices and at polling locations during early voting and on Election Day.

If you have any questions regarding this poster, or elections in general, contact our Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or elections@sos.la.gov.

Secretary Ardoin announces creation of cybersecurity position

SECRETARY ARDOIN ANNOUNCES CREATION OF CYBERSECURITY POSITION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has announced the creation of a cybersecurity position. The chief information security officer will serve as the principal advisor to Secretary Ardoin on all information technology policy, legislation and all matters related to cybersecurity. The chief information security officer will be an asset to the agency, as the security of elections continues to be of the utmost importance.

Current Information Technology Division Director Scott Mayers has been tapped to serve as the inaugural chief information security officer. Mayers will supervise the daily operation of the IT Division with the added responsibility of identifying, designing and implementing cybersecurity initiatives. He will also represent the State of Louisiana on a national level in communication with the National Association of Secretaries of State, the federal government and other partners.

“I am pleased to elevate Scott to this position,” Secretary Ardoin said. “He not only offers a vast knowledge of information technology and cybersecurity, but invaluable institutional knowledge as well. This new position is yet another integral tool to keep Louisiana’s elections safe and secure.”

Cybersecurity came to the forefront of national news following reported election data breaches and allegations of election interference by foreign operatives during the 2016 presidential election. Louisiana has not been affected by any of these incidents, yet the Secretary of State’s Office remains vigilant and focused on continuing to maintain the highest levels of election integrity.

For more information about the Secretary of State’s Office, call 225.922.2880 or visit www.sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary Ardoin warns of potential voter registration scam

SECRETARY ARDOIN WARNS OF POTENTIAL VOTER REGISTRATION SCAM

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is warning voters to be aware of who they discuss their private information with in light of a potential voter registration scam that surfaced this week. While our office has not received reports of the potential scam in Louisiana, election officials in several states have confirmed residents receiving calls impersonating an organization that provides voter registration assistance.

The callers are offering to register residents over the phone, and in some cases, to send the voter an absentee ballot. In Louisiana, residents cannot register to vote or request an absentee ballot by phone. Both registration and requesting an absentee ballot can be done online, in person or by mail.

“Voter registration by a third party is legal in Louisiana; however, in light of this potential scam, I am encouraging those who want to register to vote to do so online or to contact their parish registrar of voters,” Secretary Ardoin said. “As we work daily to combat election related threats, it is more important than ever for residents to use trusted sources such as the Secretary of State’s Office and the Registrars of Voters’ Offices.”

This potential scam comes just as the deadlines to register for the Nov. 6 open primary/congressional election approach. The deadline to register by mail or in person is Oct. 9, and the deadline to register online is Oct. 16.

Residents can register to vote online at www.GeauxVote.com; at parish Registrars of Voters’ Offices; when they apply for/renew their driver’s license at any Office of Motor Vehicles; when obtaining services at public assistance agencies and Armed Forces recruitment offices; or by mail. Citizens wishing to register by mail can download and print the application at http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/PublishedDocuments/ApplicationToRegisterToVote.pdf, or complete an application found at public libraries or through registration drives.

For more information about registering to vote, or to report a potential voter registration scam, contact the Elections Division by phone at 225.922.0900 or email elections@sos.la.gov.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Voter Registration Week 2018 begins Sept. 24

VOTER REGISTRATION WEEK 2018 BEGINS SEPT. 24

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is joining registrars of voters across the state the week of Sept. 24-28, 2018 to host Voter Registration Week activities aimed at registering eligible citizens to vote. The next regularly scheduled election in Louisiana is the congressional primary on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Louisiana’s registration push also coincides with National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday, Sept. 25.

“The first step to participating in the electoral process is registering to vote,” said Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. “This fall, Louisianians will choose their congressional representation, as well as a host of other local races and propositions. Get registered today so your voice can be heard on Election Day.”

Louisiana was one of the first states in the nation to implement an easy, convenient online voter registration portal. Citizens with a valid Louisiana driver’s license or Louisiana Special ID card can register online 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the convenience of their home or office by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov.

Residents of Louisiana can also register in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office, when they apply for/renew their driver’s license at any Office of Motor Vehicles or when obtaining services at public assistance agencies and Armed Forces recruitment offices. Citizens wishing to register by mail can download and print the application at http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/PublishedDocuments/ApplicationToRegisterToVote.pdf, or complete an application found at public libraries or through registration drives.

To register and vote in Louisiana individuals must:

·      be a U.S. citizen;
·      be at least 17 years old (16 years old if registering in person at the Registrar of Voters Office or at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles) to register and 18 years old prior to the next election to vote;
·      not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony;
·      not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights;
·      be a resident in the state and parish in which you seek to register and vote;
·      apply at least 20 days prior to an election if registering online or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail.

For a complete listing of activities in individual parishes, visit https://www.sos.la.gov/Pages/NewsAndEvents.aspx#faq206.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Voter Registration Week 2018

Louisiana's annual Voter Registration Week will be observed statewide from Sept. 24-28, 2018. Below is a comprehensive listing of scheduled activities and will be revised as information is received from each parish registrar of voters. For more information, contact your parish registrar of voters.

Assumption Parish

Monday, Sept. 24
Assumption High School (staff and students only during lunch hours)
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 10:30 a.m.-noon
Bayou L'Ourse Supermarket
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10:30 a.m.-noon
Pierre Part Library
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Spur 70 between Rouse's and Dollar General
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Labadieville Library
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Big B's Supermarket

Bienville Parish

Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 8:15 a.m.
Castor High School
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 8:35 a.m.
Castor Branch Library
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m.
Saline High School
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 10:30 a.m.
Saline Branch Library
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 8:15 a.m.
Ringgold High School
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m.
Courthouse Annex
Friday, Sept. 28 at 9:45 a.m.
VF Factory Outlet Mall
Friday, Sept. 28 at 10:15 a.m.
Arcadia High School

Bossier Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Haughton Library, 226 W. McKinley St., Haughton, LA 71037
Monday, Sept. 24 from 1-3 p.m.
Anna P. Tooke Library, 451 Fairview Point Road, Elm Grove, LA 71051
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 2-4 p.m.
Plain Dealing Library, 208 E. Mary Lee St., Plain Dealing, LA 71064
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m.-noon
Council on Aging, 706 Bearkat Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Aulds Library, 3920 Wayne Ave., Bossier City, LA 71112
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m.-noon
Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home, 3130 Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, Bossier City, LA 71112
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Central Library, 2600 Beckett St., Bossier City, LA 71111
Friday, Sept. 28 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Benton Library, 115 Courthouse Drive, Benton, LA 71006

Caddo Parish

Monday, Sept. 17 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Cedar Grove Branch, 8303 Line Ave.
Monday, Sept. 17 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hollywood/Union Branch, 2105 Hollywood Ave.
Monday, Sept. 17 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Mooretown Branch, 4360 Hollywood Ave.
Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road
Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
West Shreveport Branch, 4300 Pines Road
Tuesday, Sept. 18 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Hamilton/South Caddo Branch, 2111 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Vivian/North Caddo Branch, 615 N. Pine St.
Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
North Shreveport Branch, 4844 N. Market St.
Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 2-3:30 p.m.
David Raines Library, 2855 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Thursday, Sept. 20 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Wallette Branch, 363 Hearne Ave.
Thursday, Sept. 20 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road
Thursday, Sept. 20 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Broadmoor Resource Center, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive
Friday, Sept. 21 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Cedar Grove Branch, 8303 Line Ave.
Friday, Sept. 21 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hollywood/Union Branch, 2105 Hollywood Ave.
Friday, Sept. 21 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Mooretown Branch, 4360 Hollywood Ave.
Monday, Sept. 24 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Wallette Branch, 363 Hearne Ave.
Monday, Sept. 24 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
West Shreveport Branch, 4300 Pines Road
Monday, Sept. 24 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Hamilton/South Caddo Branch, 2111 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Hollywood/Union Branch, 2105 Hollywood Ave.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Cedar Grove Branch, 8303 Line Ave.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Broadmoor Resource Center, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Vivian/North Caddo Branch, 615 N. Pine St.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
North Shreveport Branch, 4844 N. Market St.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 2-3:30 p.m.
David Raines Library, 2855 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Hamilton/South Caddo Branch, 2111 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
West Shreveport Branch, 4300 Pines Road
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Mooretown Branch, 4360 Hollywood Ave.
Friday, Sept. 28 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road
Friday, Sept. 28 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wallette Branch, 363 Hearne Ave.
Friday, Sept. 28 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Broadmoor Resource Center, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive

Cameron Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 from 9-11 a.m.
Hackberry Library
Monday, Sept. 24 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Johnson Bayou Library
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 9-11 a.m.
Grand Lake Library
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Lowry Library
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 1-3 p.m.
Cameron Library
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-noon
Grand Chenier Library

Claiborne Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Council on Aging, 608 E. Fourth St., Homer
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-noon
Joe Webb Memorial Library, 1919 Main St., Haynesville
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10-11 a.m.
Junction City Town Hall, 106 W. Third St., Junction City
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 10-11 a.m.
Athens Village Hall, 15327 Highway 9, Athens

East Baton Rouge Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 from 1-6 p.m.
Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Monday, Sept. 24 from 1-6 p.m.
Scotlandville Branch Library, 7373 Scenic Highway
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 1-6 p.m.
Central Branch Library, 11260 Joor Road
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 1-6 p.m.
Fairwood Branch Library, 12910 Old Hammond Highway
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 1-6 p.m.
Zachary Branch Library, 1900 Church St.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 1-6 p.m.
Carver Branch Library, 720 Terrace St.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 1-6 p.m.
Delmont Gardens Branch Library, 3351 Lorraine St.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 1-6 p.m.
Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 1-6 p.m.
Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library, 13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 1-6 p.m.
Eden Park Branch Library, 5131 Greenwell Springs Road
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 1-6 p.m.
Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road
Friday, Sept. 28 from 1-6 p.m.
Jones Creek Regional Branch Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road
Friday, Sept. 28 from 1-6 p.m.
Baker Branch Library, 3501 Groom Road

Grant Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 from 8-9:30 a.m.
Montgomery High School
Monday, Sept. 24 from 9:40-11 a.m.
Montgomery Post Office
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 1:30-3 p.m.
Colfax Post Office
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 8-9:30 a.m.
Bentley Post Office
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 9:40-11
Dry Prong Post Office
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 8-11 a.m.
Grant High School
Friday, Sept. 28 from 8:30-10 a.m.
Pollock Post Office
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10:30-noon
Woods Haven Nursing Home
Friday, Sept. 28 from 12:30-2 p.m.
Georgetown Post Office

Iberville Parish

Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
White Castle Branch Library
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Maringouin Branch Library
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Iberville Parish Registrar of Voters Office

Jefferson Parish

Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Lakeside Shopping Center Mall, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie
Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
East Jefferson Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie
Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Oakwood Shopping Center Mall, 197 Westbank Expressway, Gretna
Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
West Jefferson Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey
Registration applications are available at all Jefferson Parish public libraries and at the following locations:
Kenner City Hall, 1801 Williams Blvd., Kenner
Harahan City Hall, 6437 Jefferson Highway, Harahan
Gretna City Hall, 200 Huey P. Long Ave., Gretna
Westwego City Hall, 419 Avenue A, Westwego

Lafayette Parish

Monday, Sept. 17 from 11 a.m.
Citizenship Day at University of Louisiana at Lafayette Edith Garland Dupre' Library, 400 E. St. Mary Blvd., Lafayette
Monday, Sept. 24 from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Carencro City Hall, 210 E. Saint Peter St., Carencro
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
East Regional Library, 215 La Neuville Road, Youngsville
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Scott City Hall, 125 Lion's Club Road, Scott
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Duson Post Office, 501 First St., Duson
Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Lafayette Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 1010 Lafayette St., Suite 313, Lafayette

Lafourche Parish

Thursday, Sept. 20 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Grand Opening/Open House at new early voting location, 4876 Highway 1, Mathews
Monday, Sept. 24 from 9 a.m.-noon
Open House at Galliano office, 16241 E. Main St., Suite B-23, Galliano
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at noon
Voter registration drive/voting information at Gheens Senior Citizens Center, 1783 Highway 654, Gheens
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m.-noon
Open House at Thibodaux office, 307 W. Fourth St., Thibodaux
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 9-11 a.m.
Voting machines/voter registration drive at voting machine warehouse, 1450 Tiger Drive, Thibodaux
Friday, Sept. 28 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Voter registration drive/voting information at South Lafourche Library, 16241 E. Main St., Galliano

Natchitoches Parish

Monday, Sept. 24
Lakeview High School
Tuesday, Sept. 25
Natchitoches Central
Wednesday, Sept. 26
St. Mary's
Tuesday, Oct. 2
Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts

Orleans Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Nora Navra Library, 1902 St. Bernard Ave.
Monday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Loyola University, Dana Student Center, 6363 St. Charles Ave.
Monday, Sept. 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Delgado Westbank, LaRocca Building 3
Monday, Sept. 24 from noon-1:30 p.m.
St. Mary's Academy, 6905 Chef Menteur Highway
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Milton H. Latter Library, 5120 St. Charles
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-noon
Daughter of Charity Health, 3201 S. Carrollton
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m.-noon
Daughter of Charity Health, 5630 Read Blvd.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from noon-4 p.m.
Main Library, 219 Loyola Ave.
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 2-4 p.m.
Chateau de Notre Dame, 2832 Burdette St.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
East New Orleans Library, 5641 Read Blvd.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
University of New Orleans, University Center, 2000 Lake Shore Drive
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
University of Holy Cross, 4123 Woodland Drive
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Vayla, 13235 Chef Menteur Highway
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from noon-1:30 p.m.
St. Augustine High School, 2600 AP Turead Ave.
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Tulane School of Social Work, 127 Elk St.
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Algiers Regional Library, 3014 Holiday Drive
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m.-noon
Woldenberg Village, 3701 Behrman Place
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dillard University, Kabacoff Plaza, 2601 Gentilly Blvd.
Thursday, Sept. 27 from noon-2 p.m.
Edna Karr High School, 3332 Huntlee Drive
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Norman Mayer Library, 3001 Gentilly Blvd.
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
3001 Gentilly Blvd.
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Navy Base, 400 Russell Ave., Building 46
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m.-noon
City Hall, main entrance
Friday, Sept. 28 from 10:30 a.m.-noon
Citizen Ceremony
Friday, Sept. 28 from 2-3 p.m.
Unlimited Styles & Kutz, 9511 Chef Menteur Highway

Rapides Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 at 9 a.m.
Rapides Parish Senior Citizen's Center, 209 E. Shamrock St., Pineville
Monday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.
Ball Senior Citizen Center, 100 Municipal Lane, Ball
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m.
MLK Senior Citizen Center, 3807 Smash Ave., Alexandria
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m.
University Academy (LSUA Campus), 8100 Highway 1 South, Alexandria
Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 11 a.m.
Rapides Senior Citizen's Center, 315 Bolton Ave., Alexandria
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m.
Glenmora High School, 1414 Seventh St., Glenmora
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 10 a.m.
Alexandria Main Library, 411 Washington St., Alexandria
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m.
MLK Library, 1115 Broadway Ave., Alexandria
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
Westside Regional Library, Pineville
Thursday, Sept. 27 at 10 a.m.
Martin Library, 801 W. Shamrock Ave., Pineville
Thursday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m.
Rapides High School, 9463 Highway 1 South, Lecompte
Thursday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.
Robertson Library Branch, 809 Tioga High Road, Tioga
Thursday, Sept. 27 and Friday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Alexandria Mall, 3437 Masonic Drive, Alexandria
Friday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m.
Gunter Library Branch, 5630 Holloway Road, Libuse
Friday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m.
Boyce Library Branch, 500 #A Lietrim Ave., Boyce
Saturday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m.
Awareness Parade/Walk, downtown Alexandria

St. Helena Parish

Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 8-4:30 p.m.
St. Helena Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 48 Kendrick St., NFC Building, Greensburg
Monday, Sept. 24 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Audubon Regional Library, Greensburg
Monday, Sept. 24 from 11 a.m.-noon
Amite Plaza, 30006 Highway 16, Amite
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hatfield's Country Store, 24358 Highway 43, Easleyville
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 1:15-2:30 p.m.
Bebo's, 2938 Highway 38, Kentwood
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 10-11 a.m.
Dollar General, 35705 Highway 16, Montpelier
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 1-2 p.m.
Lee's Grocery, 47785 Highway 16, Denham Springs
Friday, Sept. 28 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Darlington Grocery, 13827 Highway 10, Greensburg

St. James Parish

Tuesday, Sept. 25
Lutcher High School
Wednesday, Sept. 26
St. James High School
Thursday, Sept. 27
4-H Fun Run at Gramercy Elementary School

St. John the Baptist Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.
St. John Council on Aging (East Bank), 214 Regala Park Road, Reserve
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from noon-12:35 p.m.
St. Charles Catholic High School, 100 Dominican Drive, Laplace
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 8-9 a.m.
Riverside Academy, 332 Railroad Ave., Reserve
Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
St. John Veteran's Home, 4004 W. Airline Highway, Reserve
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 10:38-11:10 a.m.
West St. John High, 480 Highway 3127, Edgard
Thursday, Sept. 27 at 1 p.m.
East St. John High, #1 Wildcat Drive, Reserve
Friday, Sept. 28 at 10 a.m.
St. John Council on Aging (West Bank), 3445 Highway 18, Edgard

Terrebonne Parish

Monday, Sept. 24 from 2-3 p.m.
Maison De Ville, 107 S. Hollywood Road, Houma
Monday, Sept. 24 from 4-6 p.m.
North Library, 4130 W. Park Ave., Gray
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 9-10:30 a.m.
Bonne Terre Apartments, 7614 Main St., Houma
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 3-4:30 p.m.
Main Library, 151 Library Drive, Houma
Thursday, Sept. 27 from 2:30-4 p.m.
East Houma Library, 778 Grand Caillou Road

Webster Parish

Monday, Sept. 24-Friday, Sept. 28 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Registrar of Voters Office, Webster Parish Courthouse, 410 Main St., Minden
Tuesday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m.-noon
Springhill Council on Aging, 403 W. Church St., Springhill
Wednesday, Sept. 26 from 2-4 p.m.
Minden Main Branch Library, 521 East and West St., Minden

World War I exhibit opens at Louisiana State Archives

WORLD WAR I EXHIBIT OPENS AT LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin invites the public to visit the Louisiana State Archives to view “The World Remembers” exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The exhibit, which runs through Dec. 28, includes a digital display of more than one million names of individuals who died in the war as well as items from the collections of the Archives. The digital portion of the exhibit will end on Nov. 9.

Most notably, the Archives’ collection of World War I military posters will be on display. The posters were printed to encourage the public to support the war by eating less meat and wheat, buying U.S. bonds and joining the service. In addition to the posters, military uniforms, photographs and original correspondence will be featured. Finally, Louisiana State University’s Textile & Costume Museum is graciously loaning the Archives an original World War I Red Cross uniform worn by a volunteer in a Baton Rouge facility.

“We are honored to host an exhibit that pays tribute to almost 88,000 American soldiers who gave their lives as well as thousands more from 15 other nations,” Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin said. “Their service is well noted, especially as we approach the mid-term congressional elections. Voting is one of the most sacred rights we hold as Americans, and these men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice so we could enjoy that freedom.”

Aside from the exhibit, the Archives Research Library has a host of documents, records and books available for view. The collection includes separation papers of Louisianians who served in World War I, military posters, draft registration cards and more.

Admission to the Archives is free, and the building is wheelchair accessible. The exhibit will be open during Archives operating hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Archives, call 225.922.1000 or visit www.sos.la.gov/archives.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary Ardoin warns businesses about misleading mailers

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is notifying all business owners to be cautious when receiving mailers concerning annual reports from a company called Workplace Compliance Services. Workplace Compliance Services is not affiliated or associated with Louisiana state government in any way. It is a private company, and Louisiana corporations are not required to have any dealings with this company at all. Mailers from this company should be discarded immediately.

In past years, Commercial Division customers have also received correspondence from Business Compliance Division, Corporate Compliance Company, Corporate Records Service and Louisiana Corporate Compliance. These companies are also not affiliated or associated with Louisiana state government in any way.

As a reminder, our office offers an email notification system aimed at protecting Louisiana business owners from fraud and identity theft. Anyone can subscribe to the system which generates messages regarding changes to commercial entities, non-governmental correspondence, office closures and most importantly, warnings involving possible fraudulent activity.

For more information, visit www.sos.la.gov or contact a Commercial Division staff member at 225.925.4704 or commercial@sos.la.gov.

Notice to business owners regarding online filings

Effective Jan. 1, 2018, business owners in the following parishes will be required to file all available business documents online through geauxBIZ: Ascension, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Livingston, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Terrebonne.

Intent to award voting maching contract announced

INTENT TO AWARD VOTING MACHINE CONTRACT ANNOUNCED

BATON ROUGE, La.—The Office of State Procurement on behalf of Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin has issued an intent to award the RFP for Acquisition of New Voting Equipment.to Dominion Voting Systems, Inc. The State of Louisiana intends to enter into a contract with Dominion for the replacement of all early voting and Election Day voting machines.

“We are very excited about new voting technology in our state,” said Secretary of State Ardoin. “Considering voting machines are purchased every 15-20 years, we anticipated this process would be highly scrutinized and possibly contentious. We appreciate the expert advice of the Office of State Procurement which has worked with my office to ensure the process has been fair and equitable for all bidders and we look forward to negotiating a final agreement with Dominion in the near future.”

Once a final contract is negotiated, Louisiana can begin replacing approximately 10,000 machines and replacing them with smaller, more secure, touch screen models that provide a voter verified paper receipt to enhance post-election recounts or audits when necessary. Louisiana, like many other states, purchased its voting equipment back in 2005 when federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) dollars were first sent to states. Congress released approximately $5.889 million in additional HAVA funding to be used for technology improvements.

To date, the Secretary of State’s Office has invested approximately $500,000 in self-generated dollars to jump-start voting technology efforts at the local level including secure laptops for vote tabulation and additional cyber-security measures at registrar of voters offices. An additional allocation of $3.5 million has already been approved by the Legislature for this purchase. The federal HAVA dollars provided to Louisiana require a $294,400 state match bringing the potential total dollars available for voting equipment to almost $10 million dollars.

“We know for certain that ten million dollars won’t cover the entire cost of replacement machines,” noted Ardoin. “However it does get us started in at least five parishes as early as this spring,” said Ardoin. “We will immediately begin discussion with the legislature and others about how important this investment is for election security. As cyber-security threats become more advanced, voters are demanding safer, securer voting technology in our state and we are prepared to deliver,” Ardoin said. “I believe a vast majority of our lawmakers have heard that message loud and clear and will support us in bringing new equipment to their districts as soon as possible.”

According to estimates provided by Dominion during the request for proposals process, full replacement costs for Louisiana could be as high as $90-95 million. The Secretary of State’s Office has indicated it plans to roll out any new equipment purchased in phases over multiple fiscal years. Phase one would replace all early voting machines 5 parishes at a time, across the state starting in 2018. Phase two would include Election Day machines rolled out in the same manner, 5 parishes at a time with full implementation expected by 2020.

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CANCELLED: Aug. 7, 2018 State Board of Election Supervisors meeting agenda

Agenda for the Aug. 7, 2018 meeting of the State Board of Election Supervisors

Secretary of State Ardoin praises election decision

SECRETARY OF STATE ARDOIN PRAISES ELECTION DECISION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin expressed his gratitude today to Senate President John Alario and Sen. Jonathan Perry for their cooperation in calling a special election to fill the seat vacated by Perry in Senate District 26. Thanks to the support of both men, the dates announced occur during regularly scheduled elections saving tax dollars to be used for other priorities.

“Fiscally responsible decisions concerning elections are the right thing to do, and I certainly appreciate President Alario and Sen. Perry’s willingness to work with me to save taxpayer dollars,” said Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin. “I am committed to reducing the number of special elections in our state not just because of the cost, but also because of voter fatigue. We have too many elections in this state, and the people demonstrate their frustration by not always participating. If we want more voters at the polls, we need to make voting a big deal. Holding this special election on a scheduled date just makes sense,” Ardoin emphasized.

President Alario announced the special election primary will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6 during the Congressional Primary Election cycle and the runoff (if necessary) on Saturday, Dec. 8 during the Congressional General Election cycle. Qualifying for the Special Senate District 26 election will be Aug. 8-10. Eligible candidates can qualify with the clerk of court in the parish in which they are registered to vote. District 26 includes Acadia, Lafayette, St. Landry and Vermilion parishes.

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Qualifying for 2018 Congressional/Special Secretary of State Election

QUALIFYING FOR 2018 CONGRESSIONAL/SPECIAL SECRETARY OF STATE ELECTION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin reminds everyone that qualifying for the November Congressional Primary/Special Secretary of State Election begins on Wednesday, July 18 and runs through Friday, July 20.

All candidates for local municipal races will qualify with their parish clerk of court. All candidates for U.S. representatives, secretary of state, associate justices of the Supreme Court, court of appeals judges and public service commissioners will qualify at the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office located at 8585 Archives Ave. in Baton Rouge. Hours of operation for the secretary of state are 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. Check with your local clerk of court for specific parish hours.

The media is invited to attend qualifying at the Secretary of State’s Office and will have the opportunity to interview and/or photograph candidates as they file their paperwork. Additionally, the Secretary of State’s Office will live stream on both Facebook and Twitter during candidate comments.

Once qualified, candidates will appear on the secretary of state’s website in real-time on the home page at www.sos.la.gov.

The Fall Congressional Primary/Special Secretary of State Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018 and the Fall Congressional General Election will be held on Saturday, Dec. 8. For more information on qualifying, visit the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

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Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin addresses Press Club

SECRETARY OF STATE KYLE ARDOIN ADDRESSES PRESS CLUB

BATON ROUGE, La.—As the last day of the special legislative session wrapped up, Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin spoke to members of the Press Club discussing how the final budget might impact critical services including the purchase of new voting machines. The Department of State is currently engaged in a request for proposals (RFP) process to replace the state’s 10,000 Election Day and early voting machines.

“We have oral presentations scheduled next week for three voting machine companies, and from there a choice will be made by the selection committee,” Secretary Ardoin reported. “We always anticipate this process to be highly competitive one, and are anxious to see what each group brings to table for us to consider,” he said. “Elections is the one area of our operation that keeps me awake at night because we all want fair and secure elections with a level playing field and reliable outcomes. We need them for our democracy and our state to thrive.”

Ardoin shared that despite recent turmoil in the office surrounding the departure of Secretary of State Tom Schedler, its operations are returning to normal and are focused on the fundamentals that the people of Louisiana expect. Secretary Ardoin will serve as Louisiana’s secretary of state until a special election can be held on Nov. 6, 2018 and Dec. 8, 2018 if a runoff is required. Ardoin has named to his executive team former Speaker of the House Joe Salter as first assistant secretary of state, Shanda Jones as undersecretary of management and finance, Sherri Wharton Hadskey as commissioner of elections and Meg Casper Sunstrom as deputy secretary of Communications and Outreach.

“This team is the reason the Secretary of State’s Office has flourished to date,” said Ardoin. “They work with our staff each and every day to accomplish some of the big wins we’ve achieved. I’m not surprised at all with the number of politicians pondering and praying about running for this office because they will undoubtedly walk into an operation that is flourishing and has tremendous room for growth and success.”

As the election approaches this fall, Ardoin challenged voters to look at the race with great scrutiny in terms of candidate qualifications as well as issues including voting machine security, automatic voter registration, voter fraud and historically low turnout.

“Voters need to be asking candidates tough questions about their vision for this office,” stressed Ardoin. “Confidence in our elections is one of the foundations of our democracy, and Louisiana does it well. You may hear candidates running for office say other states do elections differently, and they do. But here in Louisiana, our history of public corruption and voting irregularities from decades ago led us to value things like secret ballots, photo ID and secure voting machines. In addition, we are able to provide election results within hours of our polls closing, not days or weeks later. Any changes to the fundamental way in which we conduct elections in Louisiana will have unintended consequences and voters need to be skeptical,” Ardoin said.

Qualifying for the 2018 fall congressional election cycle is fast approaching, and is scheduled for July 18-20. In addition to a special statewide election for secretary of state, voters will be considering candidates for U.S. representatives. Statewide elections, including the regular election for secretary of state, will be held in the fall of 2019.

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Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin takes oath of office

SECRETARY OF STATE KYLE ARDOIN TAKES OATH OF OFFICE

BATON ROUGE, La.—R. Kyle Ardoin was formally sworn in today during a short ceremony at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol. Judge Yvette Alexander administered the oath of office to Ardoin who was flanked by his wife, the former Letti Lowe of Port Allen and his daughter, Abbigale.

Ardoin, a native of Ville Platte and a resident of Baton Rouge, ascends into the position of secretary of state during a critical time for the Department of State, especially in terms of elections. In attendance were family, friends, staff, elected officials and other familiar faces around state government.

“I stand before you today knowing the importance of the job that lies before me,” said Secretary Ardoin. “It’s a job that hits right at the heart of our nation’s democracy and our states’ rights. Elections. We are preparing for the mid-term congressional elections as we speak, with qualifying less than two months away,” he said. “At the same time, we are embarking on replacing our voting equipment in an effort to better secure our votes while providing voters with a quick and easy process in which to cast their ballot.”

Serving as first assistant secretary of state since 2010, Ardoin is well prepared to lead the agency and has the support of not only local election officials, but also his colleagues nationally. The National Association of Secretaries of State named Ardoin co-chairman of the coveted Elections Committee indicating he had the wholehearted support of both NASS President Connie Lawson of Indiana as well as his co-chair from New Mexico, Secretary Maggie Toulouse Oliver.

“Knowing that elections cybersecurity and technology upgrades are at the forefront of the work done in every state across our nation, I am honored to be able to engage at a national level keeping Louisiana ahead of the curve in terms of the integrity of our election process,” said Ardoin. “My intent is to provide for a smooth transition of power to a newly elected secretary of state this winter, handing over an agency that has not missed a beat or slowed down any of our efforts to provide excellent customer service.”

Secretary Ardoin will serve as Louisiana secretary of state until a special election can be held on Nov. 6, 2018 and Dec. 8, 2018 if a runoff is required. Ardoin has named to his executive team former Speaker of the House Joe Salter as first assistant secretary of state, Shanda Jones as undersecretary of management and finance and Meg Casper Sunstrom as deputy secretary for communications and outreach.

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Louisiana receives three bids for new voting machines

LOUISIANA RECEIVES THREE BIDS FOR NEW VOTING MACHINES

BATON ROUGE, La.–The Secretary of State’s Office today announced three companies submitted bids to provide new voting technology for the state in response to a recently released request for proposals (RFP). The RFP calls for the replacement of both early voting and Election Day voting machines. May 1 marked the deadline for submissions by companies wishing to compete in the selection process. Until the final selection is made, all bids remain confidential under state law.

The companies submitting proposals include Dominion Voting Systems Corp., Election Systems & Software, Inc. (ES&S) and Hart InterCivic, Inc.

The secretary of state envisions replacing approximately 10,000 machines with smaller, more secure, touch-screen models that provide a voter verified paper receipt to enhance post-election recounts or audits when necessary.

Louisiana, like many other states, purchased its voting equipment back in 2005 when federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) dollars were first sent to states. Last month, Congress released approximately $5.889 million in additional HAVA funding to be used for technology improvements.

To date, the Secretary of State’s Office has invested approximately $500,000 self-generated dollars to jump-start voting technology efforts at the local level including secure laptops for vote tabulation and additional cybersecurity measures at Registrar of Voters Offices. An additional allocation of $1.5 million, approved by the Legislature for the current fiscal year, could be coupled with a recommended $3 million which is included in the Appropriations Bill (HB 1) being debated the Capitol. The HAVA dollars provided to Louisiana require a $294,400 state match bringing the potential total dollars available for voting equipment to almost $10 million dollars.

While this money will not cover the full cost of replacement, it provides welcomed federal funding without strings attached that will be pooled together with state funds to purchase new equipment. The Secretary of State’s Office has indicated it plans to roll out any new equipment purchased in phases over multiple fiscal years. Phase One would replace all early voting machines, five parishes at a time, across the state starting in 2018. Phase Two would include Election Day machines rolled out in the same manner, five parishes at a time, with full implementation expected by 2020.

The timeline for final selection of a voting machine vendor includes the following activities:

Evaluation Committee Kickoff Meeting – May 3, 2018
Individual Evaluations – May 3-14, 2018
Oral Presentations (if needed) – May 22-24, 2018
Notice of Intent to Award/Contract Negotiations – May 31, 2018
Award Finalized – June 20, 2018

Secretary of State Tom Schedler's resignation letter

SECRETARY OF STATE TOM SCHEDLER’S RESIGNATION LETTER

BATON ROUGE, La.–Attached below is the letter sent by Secretary of State Tom Schedler to the governor announcing his resignation effective Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

According to Article IV, Section 16 of the Louisiana Constitution, if the unexpired terms of a statewide elected official exceeds one year, the First Assistant Secretary of State (Kyle Ardoin) fills the unexpired term of office. The governor calls a special election to fill the vacancy at the next regularly scheduled congressional or statewide election. The next available dates are the mid-term congressional elections scheduled for Nov. 6, 2018 and Dec. 8, 2018.

Secretary Schedler Resignation Letter

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

BATON ROUGE, La.–Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that Saturday, April 28 is Election Day. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for a variety of candidate runoffs, as well as parish and local propositions, in 42* parishes. Since this is a Saturday election, the polls open at 7 a.m.

In preparation for Saturday’s Election Day activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile and the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

*Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Claiborne, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Helena, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge and Winn.

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Secretary of state to test election results

April 23, 2018

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s Office will test its electronic election results system Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to Election Night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

Across the state, 42* parishes have elections ranging from candidate run-offs to parish and local propositions. Election Day for the Spring Municipal General Election is Saturday, April 28.

- www.sos.la.gov -

*Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Claiborne, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Helena, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Baton Rouge and Winn.

Saturday last day for early voting in Spring Municipal Election

SATURDAY LAST DAY FOR EARLY VOTING IN SPRING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office reminds voters eligible to participate in the Spring Municipal General Election to consider voting early. The last opportunity to cast a ballot during early voting will be SATURDAY, APRIL 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. Across the state, 42* parishes have elections ranging from candidate runoffs to parish and local propositions.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations, visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

Election Day for the Spring Municipal General Election is Saturday, April 28.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Early voting begins Saturday for Spring municipal elections

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR SPRING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the Spring Municipal General Election to consider voting early. Early voting begins SATURDAY, APRIL 14 and continues through SATURDAY, APRIL 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, April 15.

Election Day for the Spring Municipal General Election is Saturday, April 28.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Louisiana to receive millions for voting machines; State releases Request for Proposals

LOUISIANA TO RECEIVE MILLIONS FOR VOTING MACHINES
State Releases Request for Proposals

BATON ROUGE, La.--States across the nation received welcomed news from Congress last week with the passage of a bill (Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018) that allocates unused Help America Vote Act (HAVA) dollars to be used for the purchase of voting equipment. As a result, Louisiana stands to receive approximately $5.889 million from the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in the coming weeks.

At the same time, Louisiana has released a Request for Proposals for new voting machines statewide. The Secretary of State envisions replacing approximately 10,000 early and election day electronic voting machines and replacing them with smaller, more secure, touch screen models that provide a voter verified paper receipt to enhance post-election recounts or audits when necessary.

“Louisiana, like many other states, purchased our voting equipment back in 2005 when HAVA dollars were first sent to states,” said Schedler. “Secretaries of State from across the country have been fighting for this final allocation of funding in light of recent security concerns, including hacking threats, brought to light during the 2016 Presidential Election cycle. While this money will not cover the full cost of replacement, it certainly provides a strong infusion of welcomed federal funding without strings attached that will be pooled together with state funds to better secure and update our process.”

To date, the Secretary of State’s Office has invested approximately $500,000 self-generated dollars to jump-start voting technology efforts at the local level including secure laptops for vote tabulation and additional cybersecurity measures at registrar of voters offices. An additional allocation of $1.5 million, approved by the Legislature for the current fiscal year, could be coupled with a recommended $3 million which is included in the Appropriations Bill (HB 1) being debated the capitol. The HAVA dollars provided to Louisiana require a $294,400 state match bringing the potential total dollars available for voting equipment to almost $10 million dollars.

“Looking at the total available to date, Louisiana is in a much better position than we ever envisioned in terms of funding for new machines,” said Schedler. “Our plan is to roll out any new equipment purchased in phases over multiple fiscal years, and the current amount funding can certainly cover our first phase. In phase one, we would replace all early voting machines 5 parishes at a time, across the state starting in 2018. Phase two would include election day machines rolled out in the same manner, 5 parishes at a time with full implementation expected by 2020.”

The state’s Request for Proposals for new voting equipment can be found online at: https://wwwcfprd.doa.louisiana.gov/OSP/LaPAC/agency/pdf/6770300-01.pdf.

Bids for new voting equipment will be accepted beginning May 1, 2018. Depending on the bid amounts, Secretary Schedler has anticipating needing somewhere between $40-60 million to replace both the hardware and software necessary to conduct the state’s elections.

“The good news is, discussions at the Congressional level are continuing to address the long term fiscal needs states will face in replacing old voting equipment,” said Schedler. “This is a positive first step, but there must be additional support in order to increase our cybersecurity defenses and replace aging voting equipment not just in Louisiana, but nationwide.”

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Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

BATON ROUGE, La.–Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that SATURDAY, MARCH 24 is Election Day. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for a variety of local municipal, judicial and proposition elections in 41 parishes. Additionally, there are two open state representative seats in Districts 93 (Orleans) and 86 (Tangipahoa) which could be of regional interest. Since this is a Saturday election, the polls open at 7 A.M.

In preparation for Saturday’s Election Day activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.

Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.

Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.

Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile and the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

“While certain areas with local races of interest will see higher turnout, based on early voting statistics, this looks to be another low participation cycle,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “Spring elections with only limited items on the ballot can sometimes see turnout below 10 percent. However, some high-profile municipal and state representative races could bring voters to the polls on Saturday and boost turnout above 20 percent,” said Schedler.

Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caddo Calcasieu, Concordia, DeSoto, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Madison, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, West Carroll and Winn.

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Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s Office will test its electronic election results system Tuesday, March 20 at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

The Communications Office for Election Night will be staffed by Press Secretary Meg Casper Sunstrom. If your outlet would like a seat to ERIN to watch results in real time and/or provide a backup for your election night plans, please contact her ASAP at meg.sunstrom@sos.la.gov or 225.978.6686.

In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 41 parishes, there are also two open state representative seats in Districts 93 (Orleans) and 86 (Tangipahoa) which could be of regional interest and several judicial races.

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Early voting ends Saturday for spring municipal elections

EARLY VOTING ENDS SATURDAY FOR SPRING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office reminds voters eligible to participate in the spring municipal election cycle to consider voting early. The last opportunity to cast a ballot during early voting will be Saturday, March 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 41 parishes*, there are also two open state representative seats in Districts 93 (Orleans) and 86 (Tangipahoa) which could be of regional interest and several judicial races.

Election Day for the spring municipal election is Saturday, March 24 with the General Election scheduled for Saturday, April 28.

- www.sos.la.gov -

*Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caddo Calcasieu, Concordia, DeSoto, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Madison, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Webster, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana, West Carroll and Winn.

Secretary Schedler responds to lawsuit; vows to fight

SECRETARY SCHEDLER RESPONDS TO LAWSUIT; VOWS TO FIGHT

BATON ROUGE, La. – Secretary of State Tom Schedler shared the following comments today during a brief meeting with the press to address a lawsuit filed several weeks ago and calls for his resignation. Schedler says his intent is to fight the allegations, finish his term in office, and make amends with his family, friends and colleagues who have been hurt by his actions.

“I know staying in office, on the surface, seems surprising, even shocking,” Schedler said. “But after some brutally honest discussion with the ones who’ve been hurt the most by my actions, all of them are in unanimous agreement. I must continue the job I was elected to do. But, I plan to fight these allegations,” he stated.

“My first inclination was to walk away so I could protect my family and myself from what was sure to be a wave of judgement and disappointment,” Schedler shared. “But I’ve experienced just the opposite. I have been overwhelmed by the public’s kindness,” he said. “Friends, colleagues and complete strangers have offered their advice, their prayers, their compassion and most importantly, their forgiveness. It’s been humbling.”

“The fact is, only politicians and editorial writers have publicly suggested I resign,” he noted. “Staying will not be easy, but leaving is cowardly. As is always the case, the truth about all this can be found somewhere in the middle. All the facts will be revealed in the proper place, at the proper time. I do not intend to feed the rumor mills and gossip columns.”

“I know, there will be some out there that will disagree with my choice to stay. But when I think of the critical crossroads we face in terms of elections alone: we’re in the midst of early voting right now, there are still concerns over cyberattacks on elections, we’re about to issue an RFP allowing for us to purchase new voting equipment, we have a brand new commissioner of elections; and a fast approaching mid-term election for Congress, I cannot in good conscience step down.”

“Our work will not be thrown into chaos because I’ve been targeted in an unfair lawsuit,” Schedler emphasized. “This is a time to dig in and work even harder because the deadlines for all these important issues are fast approaching and the outcomes are crucial for voters,” he said.

“From today forward, I am committed to two things: repairing my relationship with the people that mean the most to me and second, protecting the continuity of service for the people of Louisiana here at the Secretary of State’s Office. I work for the people of this state. They elected me to do a job and it’s much too important to just walk away with my tail between my legs,” said Schedler. “I’m a New Orleans boy at heart and I get up when I get knocked down, especially when the fight is not over.”

“After this statement, on the advice of my attorneys, I will not discuss the ongoing litigation. Period. I will attempt to avoid being a distraction by focusing on accomplishing the goals of the office. I ask that everyone treat my family and staff with sensitivity and kindness. They have played no role in this mess and cannot be expected to speak on my behalf.”

“I, and I alone, stand here today, with all that I have left of my reputation as a good, honest, straight-forward guy, and say I’m sorry. I made a mistake, and I will leave it to God to judge what’s in my heart and what’s next for me in my life,” Schedler said.

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Early voting begins Saturday for spring municipal elections

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR SPRING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the spring municipal election cycle to consider voting early. Early voting begins Saturday, March 10 and continues through Saturday, March 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, March 11.

Election Day for the spring municipal election is Saturday, March 24 with the General Election scheduled for Saturday, April 28.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Qualifying begins Jan. 3 for Spring elections

QUALIFYING BEGINS JAN. 3 FOR SPRING ELECTIONS

Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that qualifying begins for the Spring municipal elections on Wednesday, Jan. 3 and runs through Friday, Jan. 5 until 4:30 p.m. daily. ALL CANDIDATES FOR LOCAL MUNICIPAL RACES WILL QUALIFY WITH THEIR LOCAL CLERK OF COURT or the parish they are registered to vote in for multi-parish races. Once qualified, candidates will appear on the Secretary of State’s website under “Elections & Voting,” “Get Election Information,” “Search for Candidates” or by visiting http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/GetElectionInformation/SearchForCandidates/Pages/default.aspx.

The following 35 parishes will be participating in qualifying: Allen, Assumption, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Calcasieu, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, Franklin, Grant, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafourche, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, St. James, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Vernon, West Baton Rouge, West Carroll, West Feliciana and Winn.

Spring municipal primary elections will be held on Saturday, March 24, 2018 and Spring municipal general elections will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2018. Additionally, a special election to fill the vacant House of Representatives District 86 seat will be held on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 in select parishes. For more information on qualifying, visit the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/BecomeACandidate/QualifyForAnElection/Pages/default.aspx.

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Jan. 11, 2018 State Board of Election Supervisors meeting agenda

Agenda for the Jan. 11, 2018 meeting of the State Board of Election Supervisors

Secretary Schedler to testify before Congress

SECRETARY SCHEDLER TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler flies to Washington D.C. this week for testimony Wednesday, Nov. 29 before the House Subcommittees on Information Technology and Intergovernmental Affairs. The hearing, scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CST is entitled “Cybersecurity: Ensuring the Integrity of the Ballot Box.” Secretary Schedler will highlight efforts to secure and protect voting machines across the country on behalf of the National Association of Secretaries of State and specifically highlight Louisiana’s elections best practices including how we protect equipment from tampering.

“In Louisiana, we take pride that we go above and beyond with our voting machine security,” Schedler says. “We are a top down state which means the state purchases, and warehouses, every voting machine used in Louisiana. Additionally, we have the most current software available on all of our voting machines, and we test each and every one before and after the election. Because no one touches our voting machines except our staff; because they’re never sent out to the manufacturer for repairs; because they are not handled by individuals or companies who program voting machines; and because they are very tightly controlled by our office and our office alone, I have the utmost confidence in our vote tallies. The real need in terms of cybersecurity include continued guidance on best practices for election equipment and approval of our clearances from the Department of Homeland Security so that secretaries of state can receive classified information when threats arise. Most of all, states are looking for funding sources to replace aging equipment purchased more than 10 years ago. All of these messages will be important for our federal leaders to hear and consider on Wednesday,” Schedler emphasized.

The subcommittee hearing can be viewed online at https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/cybersecurity-voting-machines/. Additional participants scheduled to appear with Secretary Schedler include:

Christopher C. Krebs, Senior Official performing the duties of the Under Secretary, National Protection and Programs Directorate, Department of Homeland Security;
Edgardo Cortés, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Elections;
Matthew Blaze Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science, University of Pennsylvania and coauthor of the DEFCON 25 report; and
Susan Klein Hennessey (minority witness), Fellow in National Security Law in Governance Studies, Brookings Institution.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that SATURDAY, NOV. 18 is Election Day across the state. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for state treasurer as well as an assortment of local races including New Orleans municipal offices beginning at 7 A.M.

In preparation for Saturday’s election activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.

Voters can also sign up for text alerts via the GeauxVote Mobile app.

Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.

Election results can be viewed in real-time via the GeauxVote Mobile app and the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

“Statewide turnout is only anticipated to reach approximately 13 percent, so I’m strongly urging voters in Louisiana to get out and cast a ballot in this important statewide election,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “The office of treasurer is critical to our state’s financial stability and choosing a statewide elected official is something we should all weigh in on by voting. Additionally, voters in New Orleans will be electing their mayor as well as other municipal leaders, so we believe participation in that area will surpass the overall state turnout.”

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system TUESDAY, NOV. 14 at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state’s website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to election night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

The Secretary of State’s Office will also be testing the new election result feed for media on Tuesday. Media wishing to test the new site ahead of next year’s launch are encouraged to contact Press Secretary Meg Casper Sunstrom for additional instructions and log in credentials.

Finally, in preparation for election night, media outlets should reserve their seat at the Secretary of State’s Office if they are interested in watching results via ERIN (Electronic Registration Information Network).

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Secretary Schedler to address national audience

SECRETARY SCHEDLER TO ADDRESS NATIONAL AUDIENCE

Secretary of State Tom Schedler will make a national appearance thanks to a visit from the C-SPAN tour bus in Baton Rouge tomorrow morning.

On Tuesday, Nov. 7, a customized 45-foot motor coach will arrive in front of the State Capitol for C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” program as part of a 14-month tour of the United States. Secretary Schedler will be interviewed at approximately 8:20 a.m. on both state and national topics surrounding elections. Viewers can watch Schedler locally in Baton Rouge on Cox Channel 141 or online at www.c-span.org/community.

From there, Schedler had planned to fly to Washington D.C. to prepare for testimony Wednesday, Nov. 8 before the Subcommittees on Information Technology and Intergovernmental Affairs. However, the hearing, entitled “Cybersecurity: Ensuring the Integrity of the Ballot Box” was cancelled late Monday night by Chairman Will Hurd due to the church shooting in Texas. The hearing will be rescheduled at a later time.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Early voting begins Friday due to Veterans Day

EARLY VOTING BEGINS FRIDAY DUE TO VETERANS DAY

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler is asking registered voters to note that early voting for the Nov. 18 Special Treasurer/Municipal General Election will begin FRIDAY, Nov. 3 due to the observance of Veterans Day next week.

“Because Friday, Nov. 10 is Veterans Day, which is a holiday recognized by the state, we must push early voting up one day to accommodate voters not losing a day to cast their ballot,” said Secretary Schedler. “It’s the perfect time to remind voters to dedicate their vote to a current or former soldier who served our country through the Honor Vets…Vote! program. While we anticipate turnout to be extremely low based on historical data, I hope that we can all agree that voting in honor of our service members is a great reason to participate on Election Day. You can get more information on the Honor Vets…Vote! program by visiting to www.sos.la.gov/honorvets.”

All Louisianians eligible to vote in the Special/Municipal Election can begin early voting FRIDAY, NOV. 3 and continue through SATURDAY, NOV. 11 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Nov. 5 and Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 10. Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as whether they are eligible to vote in this election. Twenty-four parishes statewide only have the treasurer’s race on the ballot with an additional 32 parishes seeing the treasurer’s race as well as local propositions. Orleans Parish has high profile municipal races including mayor and city council, while eight additional parishes also have local candidate races.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Important Nov. 18, 2017 Election Deadlines

Nov. 18, 2017
Open General/Orleans Municipal Parochial General/Special General Election

The following is important information for the Nov. 18, 2017 Open General/Orleans Municipal Parochial General/Special General Election:

The deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Oct. 18.
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Oct. 28.
Early voting is Nov. 3-11 (except Sunday, Nov. 5 and Veterans Day holiday, Friday, Nov. 10) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Nov. 14 by 4:30 p.m. Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted mail ballot is Nov. 17 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).

For a complete listing of all dates regarding the Nov. 18 election, view our Election Quick Facts.

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that SATURDAY, OCT. 14 is Election Day across the state. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for state treasurer and three constitutional amendments as well as an assortment of local races including New Orleans municipal offices beginning at 7 A.M.

In preparation for Saturday’s election activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via the GeauxVote Mobile app.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via the GeauxVote Mobile app and the Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.la.gov.

“We anticipate turnout on Saturday unfortunately to be very low based on historical data and early voting statistics,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “I have indicated that I’ll happily eat crow if Louisiana’s voters prove me wrong, and I hope they do. Polls will be open all day Saturday and there is plenty of time to still participate in this important statewide election cycle. Every vote counts, so geaux vote!”

- www.sos.la.gov -

Commissioner of elections honored for service

COMMISSIONER OF ELECTIONS HONORED FOR SERVICE

Commissioner of Elections for the State of Louisiana, Angie Rogers, was recognized Friday by the Civil Service League as this year’s Monte M. Lemann Award recipient. The Lemann Award is the highest civil service award given to administrators and unclassified employees in the state.

Rogers has served as commissioner of elections for the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office for more than a decade. Under her leadership, the state has become a national model for election preparation, implementation, integrity and innovation. Roger’s career has always been steeped in elections, from her beginnings as staff attorney to the Louisiana Legislature’s House and Governmental Affairs Committee that oversees election laws, to her service as a Civil Division lawyer in the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office where she defended high profile election cases all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“When Louisiana voters go to the polls to cast their ballot on Election Day, the person behind the scenes, ensuring not only each citizen’s right to vote, but also their right to a fair and impartial election system, is Angie Rogers,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “There is no greater demonstration of democracy than fair and reliable elections, and Angie has been integral to that work here in Louisiana under the leadership of several secretaries of state, including myself. Angie’s legal background, coupled with her instinctive determination and focus, provide the perfect framework in overseeing Louisiana’s complex election system. Her influence in an area so critical to our nation’s core beliefs and values is immeasurable and touches the lives of every one of Louisiana’s three million registered voters,” Schedler emphasized.

This winter, Rogers will retire from the State of Louisiana and the Secretary of State’s Office. She is most noted for her work after Hurricane Katrina in making sure voters in New Orleans were able to participate in municipal elections despite extensive damage to hundreds of polling places as well as thousands of individuals displaced out of state. Additionally, she oversaw the implementation of new voting machines statewide in 2005 and has been influential in the vision for Louisiana’s next generation of technology that will soon be employed. During Roger’s tenure, Louisiana led the nation in innovative practices including online voter registration, real-time election night results reporting and an award winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile.

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Early voting to continue as Nate approaches Louisiana

EARLY VOTING TO CONTINUE AS NATE APPROACHES LOUISIANA

Secretary of State Tom Schedler says early voting across the state will continue through Saturday at 6 p.m. as Louisiana prepares for Nate. Schedler told registrars of voters this morning that he expects all offices to be able to complete early voting at 6 p.m. on Saturday with minimal impact due to the storm. La. R.S. 18:401.1 requires any suspension of early voting to be approved by both the secretary of state and the governor. Currently, only one early voting site, Pointe a la Hache in Plaquemines Parish, has closed due to evacuations. The other two early voting sites in Plaquemines Parish remain OPEN.

“While many parish governments are closing so that non-essential employees can prepare for the storm, early voting is considered an essential function and should continue as scheduled,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “Our guidance at this time is, unless there is an imminent risk of an early voting site flooding or a mandatory evacuation called for an entire parish, early voting will be completed so that all voters can exercise their right to cast a ballot.”

Preparations continue to be made by elections officials across the state to protect their early voting/Election Day voting equipment and supplies from any potential storm impact or damage. Since Nate is expected to move through the state quickly, all election activities are anticipated to resume on Monday as the state prepares for the Saturday, Oct. 14 election.

“This storm certainly puts another wrinkle in our ability to predict overall turnout for the 14th,” said Schedler. “Overall, using historical and early voting data, I’m reducing my initial 20 percent turnout prediction because I believe we may struggle to get to 15-20 percent participation statewide. It will take all of the candidates and others encouraging voters to get out and cast a ballot to improve turnout on Election Day for sure.”

- www.sos.la.gov -

Early voting begins Saturday for special treasurer's race/municipal primary elections

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR SPECIAL TREASUER’S RACE/MUNICIPAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the special election to fill the state treasurer’s office vacated by John Kennedy to consider voting early. Early voting begins SATURDAY, SEPT. 30 and continues through SATURDAY, OCT. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Oct. 1.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone application, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as whether they are eligible to vote in this election. All 64 parishes statewide have the treasurer’s race and three constitutional amendments on the ballot for Oct. 14. Additionally, New Orleans has high profile municipal races including mayor and city council, while other elections of interest across the state include two state representative seats (districts 58 and 77), public service commissioner (District 2) and various municipal/local elections.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Louisiana NOT Targeted or Hacked During 2016 Elections

Louisiana NOT Targeted or Hacked During 2016 Elections

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler confirms that he was notified today by the Department of Homeland Security that Louisiana was NOT one of the 21 states widely reported to have been targeted or hacked during the 2016 election cycle.

Earlier this year, DHS officials announced that 21 state elections system were targeted by Russian adversaries during the 2016 Presidential Election cycle. They did not, however, confirm publicly which states were involved. Secretaries of state throughout the country, including Secretary Schedler, have been critical of the federal government’s reluctance to release state-specific information to chief elections officers until today.

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Important Oct. 14, 2017 Election Deadlines

Oct. 14, 2017
Open Primary/Orleans Municipal Parochial Primary/Special Primary Election

The following is important information for the Oct. 14, 2017 Open Primary/Orleans Municipal Parochial Primary/Special Primary Election:

The qualifying period is July 12-14. Local and municipal candidates qualify with the clerk of court in the parish in which they are registered to vote (contact your local clerk of court for office hours). State candidates qualify in the executive offices of Secretary of State Tom Schedler at 8585 Archives Ave. in Baton Rouge between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Qualifying fees must be paid in the form of cash; certified or cashier's check on a state or national bank or credit union; U.S. postal money order; or money order issued by a state or national bank or credit union and must be accompanied by the qualifying form.
The deadline to register to vote in person or by mail is Sept. 13.
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Sept. 23.
Early voting is Sept. 30 through Oct. 7 (except Sunday, Oct. 1) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Oct. 10 by 4:30 p.m. Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted mail ballot is Oct. 13 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).

For a complete listing of all dates regarding the Oct. 14 election, view our Election Quick Facts.

Sept. 19, 2017 State Board of Election Supervisors meeting agenda

Agenda for the Sept. 19, 2017 meeting of the State Board of Election Supervisors

Voter Registration Week 2017

Louisiana's annual Voter Registration Week will be observed statewide from Aug. 21-25, 2017. Below is a comprehensive listing of scheduled activities and will be revised as information is received from each parish registrar of voters. For more information, contact your parish registrar of voters.

Assumption Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 8:30-10 a.m.
Bayou L'Ourse Supermarket
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 8:30-10 a.m.
Big B's Supermarket
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Pierre Part Library
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Labadieville Library
Friday, Aug. 25 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Dollar General-Spur

Bienville Parish

Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 9-9:30 a.m.
Castor Branch Library and Castor High School
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 10:30-11 a.m.
Saline Branch Library and Saline High School
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Ringgold Branch Library
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 10:45-11 a.m.
Bienville Parish Courthouse Annex
Friday, Aug. 25 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
VF Factory Outlet Mall

Bossier Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Haughton Library, 226 W. McKinley St., Haughton, LA 71037
Monday, Aug. 21 from 12:30-2 p.m.
East 80 Library, 1050 Bellevue Road, Haughton, LA 71037
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 1-3 p.m.
Plain Dealing Library, 208 E. Mary Lee St., Plain Dealing, LA 71064
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Council on Aging, 706 Bearkat Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Benton Library, 115 Courthouse Drive, Benton, LA 71006
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 9-11 a.m.
Northwest Louisiana Veterans Home, 3130 Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, Bossier City, LA 71112
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 1-3 p.m.
Central Library, 2600 Beckett St., Bossier City, LA 71111
Friday, Aug. 25 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Aulds Library, 3920 Wayne Ave., Bossier City, LA 71112
Friday, Aug. 25 from 1-3 p.m.
Anna P. Tooke Library, 451 Fairview Point Road, Elm Grove, LA 71051

East Baton Rouge Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 1-6 p.m.
Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Monday, Aug. 21 from 1-6 p.m.
Scotlandville Branch Library, 7373 Scenic Highway
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 1-6 p.m.
Central Branch Library, 11260 Joor Road
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 1-6 p.m.
Fairwood Branch Library, 12910 Old Hammond Highway
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 1-6 p.m.
Zachary Branch Library, 1900 Church St.
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 1-6 p.m.
Carver Branch Library, 720 Terrace St.
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 1-6 p.m.
Delmont Gardens Branch Library, 3351 Lorraine St.
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 1-6 p.m.
Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 1-6 p.m.
Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library, 13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 1-6 p.m.
Eden Park Branch Library, 5131 Greenwell Springs Road
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 1-6 p.m.
Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road
Friday, Aug. 25 from 1-6 p.m.
Jones Creek Regional Branch Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road
Friday, Aug. 25 from 1-6 p.m.
Baker Branch Library, 3501 Groom Road

Iberville Parish

Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Iberville Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 58050 Meriam St., Plaquemine, LA 70764-2717

Jefferson Parish

Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Lakeside Shopping Center Mall, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie
Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
East Jefferson Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie
Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Oakwood Shopping Center Mall, 197 Westbank Expressway, Gretna
Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
West Jefferson Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey
Registration applications are available at all Jefferson Parish public libraries as well as at the following locations:
- Kenner City Hall, 1801 Williams Blvd., Kenner
- Harahan City Hall, 6437 Jefferson Highway, Harahan
- Gretna City Hall, 200 Huey P. Long Ave., Gretna
- Westwego City Hall, 419 Avenue A, Westwego

Lafayette Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Lafayette Parish WD Smith Career Center, 200 18th St., Lafayette, LA 70501
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Moss Street Post Office, 1105 Moss St., Lafayette, LA 70501
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Energy Station Post Office, 455 Feu Follet Road, Lafayette, LA 70508
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
South Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA 70503
Friday, Aug. 25 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Lafayette Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 1010 Lafayette St., Suite 313, Lafayette, LA 70501

Lafourche Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 9:30 a.m.-noon
Voting Machine Warehouse, 1450 Tiger Drive, Thibodaux
Monday, Aug. 21 from 10 a.m.-noon
South Lafourche Library, 16241 E. Main, Galliano
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 1-3:30 p.m.
Choctaw Library, 1887 Choctaw Road, Choctaw
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Lafourche Government Complex, 4876 Highway 1, Mathews
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Registrar of Voters Office, 307 W. Fourth St., Thibodaux
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
NSU Welcome Back Day, Student Union Building
Friday, Aug. 25 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Registrar of Voters Office, 16241 E. Main, B-23, Galliano
Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 7 a.m. until
South Lafourche High School, 16911 E. Main, Galliano
Wednesday, Aug. 30 from 7 a.m. until
Central Lafourche High School, 4820 Highway 1, Mathews

Orleans Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 10 a.m.-noon
Uptown Health Care
Monday, Aug. 21 from 10-11:45 a.m.
Home Life in the Gardens
Monday, Aug. 21 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Algiers Regional Library
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Delgado Community College (Westbank Campus)
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Main Library
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 11:30-2 p.m.
Edna Karr High School
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 9-11 a.m.
Mary Queen of Vietnam Church
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Loyola University
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Norman Mayer Library
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Benjamin Franklin High School
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 9-11 a.m.
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.-noon
University of New Orleans
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Rosa F. Keller Library
Friday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Broad Community Connection
Friday, Aug. 25 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Citizens Ceremony
Friday, Aug. 25 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Broad Community Connection

Rapides Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m.
Rapides Parish Senior Citizens Center, 209 E. Shamrock St., Pineville, LA 71360
Monday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m.
Ball Senior Citizen Center, 100 Municipal Lane, Ball, LA 71405
Monday, Aug. 21 at 11 a.m.
Rapides Council on Aging, Inc., 204 Chester St., Alexandria, LA 71301
Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 10 a.m.
MLK Senior Citizen Center, 3807 Smash Ave., Alexandria, LA 71302
Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 11 a.m.
Rapides Senior Citizens Center, 315 Bolton Ave., Alexandria, LA 71301
Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m.
Kees Park, 2608 Highway 28 East, Pineville, LA 71360
Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m.
Alexandria Main Library, 411 Washington St., Alexandria, LA 71301
Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 10 a.m.
MLK Library, 1115 Broadway Ave., Alexandria, LA 71302
Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 11 a.m.
Westside Regional Library, Pineville
Thursday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m.
Martin Library, 801 W. Shamrock Ave., Pineville, LA 71360
Thursday, Aug. 24 at 1 p.m.
Robertson Library Branch, 809 Tioga High Road, Tioga
Thursday, Aug. 24 at 2 p.m.
Gunter Library Branch, 5630 Holloway Road, Libuse
Friday, Aug. 25 at 10 a.m.
Boyce Library Branch, 500 #A Lietrim Ave., Boyce, LA 71409
Friday, Aug. 25 at 2 p.m.
Hineston Library Branch, 1810 Highway 121, Hineston

St. Charles Parish

Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Killona Community Center, 201 Highway 3141, Killona, LA 70057
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
St. Rose Community Center, 608 Mockingbird Lane, St. Rose, LA 70087

St. Helena Parish

Monday, Aug. 21-Friday, Aug. 25 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
St. Helena Parish Registrar of Voters Office, NFC Building, First Floor, 48 Kendrick St., Greensburg
Monday, Aug. 21 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Audubon Regional Library, Greensburg
Monday, Aug. 21 from 11 a.m.-noon
Amite Plaza, 30006 Highway 16, Amite
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hatfield's Country Store, 24358 Highway 43, Greensburg (Easleyville)
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 1:15-2:30 p.m.
Bebo's Truck Stop, 2938 Highway 38, Kentwood
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Dollar General, Montpelier
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Lee's Grocery, 47785 Highway 16, Denham Springs (Dennis Mills)
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 11 a.m.-noon
St. Helena College and Career Academy, 14340 Highway 37, Greensburg

Terrebonne Parish

Monday, Aug. 21 from 2-3:30 p.m.
North Branch Library, 4130 W. Park Ave., Gray
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Terrebonne High School, 7318 Main St.
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Fletcher Technical Community College, 1407 Highway 311
Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Terrebonne Parish Main Library, 151 Library Drive
Wednesday, Aug. 23 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Fletcher Houma Facility, 310 St. Charles St.
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 9-10 a.m.
Chateau-Terrebonne Nursing Home, 1386 W. Tunnel Blvd.
Thursday, Aug. 24 from 2-3:30 p.m.
East Houma Library, 778 Grand Caillou Road
Friday, Aug. 25 from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
South Terrebonne High School, 3879 Highway 24

Voter Registration Week 2017 begins Aug. 21

VOTER REGISTRATION WEEK 2017 BEGINS AUG. 21

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler is joining registrars of voters across the state the week of Aug. 21-25, 2017 to host Voter Registration Week activities aimed at registering eligible citizens to vote. The next regularly scheduled election in Louisiana is the Statewide Special and Open/Orleans Municipal Parochial Primary on Oct. 14, 2017.

“Registering to vote is a right we should all cherish, and we’ve made it quick and easy to do so,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “While this year is a slow election cycle for many communities, Louisiana will be electing a state treasurer this fall as well as hosting many local elections, propositions and constitutional amendments on the ballot. The first step in participating in government is to make sure you’re registered to vote and if not, now is a great time to do it. Then on Election Day it’s easy to GeauxVote!”

Louisiana was one of the first states in the nation to implement an easy, convenient online voter registration portal. Citizens with a valid Louisiana driver’s license can register online 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the convenience of their home or office by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov.

Residents of Louisiana can also register in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office, when they apply for/renewing their driver’s license at any Office of Motor Vehicles or when obtaining services at public assistance agencies and Armed Forces recruitment offices. Citizens wishing to register by mail can download and print the application at http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/PublishedDocuments/ApplicationToRegisterToVote.pdf, or complete an application found at public libraries or through registration drives.

To register and vote in Louisiana individuals must:

be a U.S. citizen;
be at least 17 years old (16 years old if registering in person at the Registrar of Voters Office or at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles) to register and 18 years old prior to the next election to vote;
not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony;
not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights;
be a resident in the state and parish in which you seek to register and vote; and
complete the process at least 20 days prior to an election if registering online or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail.

For a complete listing of activities in individual parishes, visit http://www.sos.la.gov/Pages/NewsAndEvents.aspx#faq166.

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Aug. 15, 2017 State Board of Election Supervisors meeting agenda

Agenda for the Aug. 15, 2017 meeting of the State Board of Election Supervisors

Media Advisory: Qualifying begins Wednesday for 2017 statewide/municipal elections

MEDIA ADVISORY: QUALIFYING BEGINS WEDNESDAY FOR 2017 STATEWIDE/MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that qualifying for the October Statewide/Municipal Elections begins on Wednesday, July 12 and runs through Friday, July 14.

All candidates for local municipal/legislative/district judge races will qualify with their parish clerk of court. All candidates for State Treasurer, Public Service Commission District 2 and Court of Appeals Judges will qualify at the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office located at 8585 Archives Ave. in Baton Rouge. Hours of operation for the Secretary of State’s Office are 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. Check with your local clerk of court for specific parish hours.

The media is invited to attend qualifying at the Secretary of State’s Office and will have the opportunity to interview and/or photograph candidates as they file their paperwork.

Once qualified, candidates will appear on the secretary of state’s website in real-time under “Elections & Voting,” “Get Election Information,” “Search for Candidates,” or by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/CandidateInquiry.

The fall Statewide/Municipal Election will be held on Saturday, Oct. 14 and the fall General Election (runoff) will be held on Saturday, Nov. 18. For more information on qualifying, visit the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

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Response to Presidential Commission on Election Integrity

SCHEDLER DENIES MASSIVE DATA REQUEST FROM PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON ELECTION INTEGRITY

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced today that he will not comply with the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity request to access voter information in Louisiana. He bases his decision on a long-standing, consistent belief that voter’s private information including social security number, mother’s maiden name and date of birth should be vigorously protected by states.

“The President’s Commission has quickly politicized its work by asking states for an incredible amount of voter data that I have, time and time again, refused to release,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “My response to the Commission is, you're not going to play politics with Louisiana’s voter data, and if you are, then you can purchase the limited public information available by law, to any candidate running for office. That’s it.”

Louisiana's public voter list includes only name, address, party affiliation and voter history. Voter history indicates voters’ participation in previous election cycles, NOT how they voted.

Schedler’s response mirrors his prior efforts to defend Louisiana’s data against attempts by the Obama Administration’s Department of Justice to obtain private, personal information through a lawsuit filed in the Middle District in July of 2011 claiming Louisiana does not register to vote recipients of state benefits with “sufficient vigor.” The Department of Health and Hospitals, as well as the Department of Children and Family Services, are co-defendants in the lawsuit with the Secretary of State. A discovery request by the Department of Justice demanded Schedler turn over Louisiana’s entire election database including the social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, dates of birth and mother’s maiden names of each and every registered voter, as well as the source code needed to manipulate the information contained in the database. The request for the data has since been withdrawn.

“I denied the Obama Justice Department’s request and I’m denying President Trump’s Commission’s request because they are both politically motivated,” noted Schedler. “The release of private information creates a tremendous breach of trust with voters who work hard to protect themselves against identity fraud. That’s why it is protected by six federal laws and two state laws. This Commission needs to understand clearly, disclosure of such sensitive information is more likely to diminish voter participation rather than foster it. I have been fighting this kind of federal intrusion and overreach, and will continue to fight like hell for the people who trust me with the integrity of our election process,” emphasized Schedler.

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Letter from Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity

Special election for Senate District 2 tomorrow

SPECIAL ELECTION FOR SENATE DISTRICT 2 TOMORROW

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds all registered Louisiana voters that runoff for Senate District 2 will be held this Saturday, May 27 in eight parishes across the state. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Below are several reminders to assist in your coverage of Election Day activities and results:

Remind voters to download our GeauxVote Mobile smartphone app to sign up for Election Day text notifications, find polling locations, review sample ballots and monitor election results in real-time.
Sample ballots are also available via our website at www.sos.la.gov.
Real-time election results will be posted to our website in several formats: graphical, text and mobile. Graphical results will not display for Apple users. Allow three to five minutes between refreshing the results site for optimal functionality. Remember, the results must be transported from the polling locations to the Clerk of Court’s Office and downloaded before populating our website.

Parishes within the 2nd Senatorial District include Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and West Baton Rouge.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system TUESDAY, MAY 23 at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to election night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

Parishes participating in the May 27 Special Senatorial District 2 Election include Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and West Baton Rouge.

###

Early voting begins Saturday for special Senate election runoff

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR SPECIAL SENATE ELECTION RUNOFF

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the special election to fill the 2^nd Senatorial District seat vacated by Troy Brown to consider voting early. Early voting begins SATURDAY, MAY 13 and continues through SATURDAY, MAY 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 14.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone application, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as whether they are eligible to vote in this special election. Parishes within the 2^nd Senatorial District include Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and West Baton Rouge.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Spring general and special Senate elections this Saturday!

SPRING GENERAL AND SPECIAL SENATE ELECTIONS THIS SATURDAY!

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds all registered Louisiana voters that municipal general elections and a special Senate District 2 primary election will be held this Saturday, March 29 in 46 parishes across the state. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Below are several reminders to assist in your coverage of Election Day activities and results:

Remind voters to download our GeauxVote Mobile smartphone app to sign up for Election Day text notifications, find polling locations, review sample ballots and monitor election results in real-time.
Sample ballots are also available via our website at www.sos.la.gov.
Real-time election results will be posted to our website in several formats (graphical, text and mobile). Graphical results will not display for Apple users.

Allow three to five minutes between refreshing the results site for optimal functionality. Remember, the results must be transported from the polling locations to the Clerk of Court’s Office and downloaded before populating our website.

In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 46 parishes*, there is one open State Representative seat in District 8 and the primary election for Senate District 2 vacated by Troy Brown, which could be of regional interest. The runoff for Senate District 2, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday, May 27.

- www.sos.la.gov -

*Parishes with elections include, Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Cameron, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Webster, Washington, West Baton Rouge and Winn.

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system TUESDAY, APRIL 25 at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS. (Please note, Orleans Parish will not be testing until later in the week.)

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to Election Night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 46 parishes, there is one open State Representative seat in Districts 8 and the primary election for Senate District 2 vacated by Troy Brown, which could be of regional interest. Parishes with elections include Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Cameron, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Webster, Washington, West Baton Rouge and Winn.

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Early voting begins Saturday for Spring General and Special Senate Elections

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR SPRING GENERAL AND SPECIAL SENATE ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the Spring Municipal Election cycle to consider voting early. Early voting begins Saturday, April 15 and continues through Saturday, April 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Good Friday, April 14 and Easter Sunday, April 16.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone application, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 46 parishes*, there is one open state representative seat in District 8 and the primary election for Senate District 2 vacated by Troy Brown, which could be of regional interest. The runoff for Senate District 2, if necessary, is scheduled for Saturday, May 27.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

- www.sos.la.gov -

*Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Cameron, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Lincoln, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Union, Vermilion, Webster, Washington, West Baton Rouge and Winn.

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that SATURDAY, MARCH 25 is Election Day across the state. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 37 parishes, and there are also three open state representative seats in Districts 8, 42 and 92 which could be of regional interest. Since this is a Saturday election, the polls open at 7 A.M.

In preparation for Saturday’s Election Day activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
Voters should bring an I.D. with them to vote (Louisiana Driver’s License, Louisiana Special I.D. card or another generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an I.D. will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via GeauxVote Mobile and the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas and Vermilion.

- www.sos.la.gov -

*NOTE: The Secretary of State’s Communications Office will be staffed by Public Information Officer Brandee Patrick on Election Night. Media with questions should contact her at brandee.patrick@sos.la.gov or 225.362.5111.

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system TUESDAY, MARCH 21 at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to Election Night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

The Communications Office for Election Night will be staffed by Public Information Officer Brandee Patrick. Patrick can be reached directly at brandee.patrick@sos.la.gov, 225.362.5111 (office) or 225.328.2977 (cell).

In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 37 parishes, there are also three open State Representative seats in Districts 8, 42 and 92 which could be of regional interest. Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas and Vermilion.

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Qualifying for special Senate District 2 election

QUALIFYING FOR SPECIAL SENATE DISTRICT 2 ELECTION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that qualifying for the special election to fill State Senate seat vacated by Sen. Troy Brown in District 2 begins Wednesday, March 15 and runs through Friday, March 17 at 4:30 p.m.

Candidates will qualify with their local, parish clerk of court. Senate District 2 includes parts of Ascension, Assumption, Iberville, Lafourche, St. Charles, St. James, St. John and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Once qualified, candidates will appear on the secretary of state’s website in real-time under “Elections & Voting,” “Get Election Information,” “Search for Candidates,” or by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/CandidateInquiry.

The Special Primary Election for Senate District 2 will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2017 and the Special General Election will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2017. For more information on qualifying, visit the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

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Early voting begins Saturday for spring municipal elections

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR SPRING MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the Spring Municipal Election cycle to consider voting early. Early voting begins SATURDAY, MARCH 11 and continues through SATURDAY, MARCH 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, March 12.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone application, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. In addition to a variety of local candidate and proposition elections in 37 parishes*, there are also three open state representative seats in Districts 8, 42 and 92 which could be of regional interest. (NOTE: The vacant 2nd Senatorial District seat vacated by Troy Brown is not on the ballot until April 29. Qualifying for that race is next week, March 15-17.)

Another reminder for voters impacted by the floods, or by the recent tornado in New Orleans, is to check early voting sites as well as their Election Day precincts for changes due to physical damage. Thirteen precincts in New Orleans east have recently moved due to tornado damage, and the Juban Crossing early voting site in Livingston Parish is NOT opening this election cycle. Voters in Livingston Parish should visit their Registrar of Voters Office to early vote.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations, visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

- www.sos.la.gov -

*Parishes with elections include: Acadia, Allen, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Grant, Iberia, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, LaSalle, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Orleans, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. John, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas and Vermilion.

Secretary Schedler responds to President Trump's voter fraud investigation

January 25, 2017

SECRETARY SCHEDLER RESPONDS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VOTER FRAUD INVESTIGATION

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler issued the following statement today in response to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a national voter fraud investigation.

“I take any and all allegations of fraud very seriously, but I can only speak on behalf of the election system here in Louisiana since it is the one I control. Louisiana did not have any widespread irregularities or allegations of fraud during the 2016 Presidential Election Cycle.

In our state, you must be a citizen of the United States in order to register to vote. In fact, when you register you are in effect signing a legal affidavit and creating an official public record stating that you meet all of the necessary requirements. Creating a false public record is a serious crime that is punishable by law. In addition, Louisiana has a trusted, election-day photo I.D. law in our state that provides an additional level of security.

Our registrar of voters statewide are also required by law to review, monitor and update our voter registration lists for accuracy. One tool they use is a robust program called the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) which allows states to share data allowing us to clean our registration records by removing individuals who are identified as no longer living in our state or who have died. ERIC includes data from more than 21 states as well as the national change of address program giving us confidence that only those eligible to vote in Louisiana are in fact, voting.

In other words, Louisiana has many layers of legal protection to shield us from voter fraud. It is for the above reasons, and because we received no complaints or allegations of illegal citizens registering or voting on Election Day that I was able to, in good conscious, certify Louisiana's election results.

Do I believe there could be precincts in this country in which there are voters on the rolls who have moved out of state or have died? Yes, I do. And if a presidential investigation can produce evidence concerning this scenario or any other fraudulent activity it should be shared with the states so that it can be cleaned-up and put to rest.

I can assure you that conducting free and fair elections will always be my top priority and if I feel that our laws are being broken by anyone, I will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law."

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Secretary Schedler seeks assistance from Pres.-elect Trump

SECRETARY SCHEDLER SEEKS ASSISTANCE FROM PRES.-ELECT TRUMP

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler penned a letter this week to President-elect Trump seeking his assistance in undoing a last-minute action of the Obama administration. On Friday, Jan. 6 at approximately 5:40 p.m., the National Association of Secretaries of State was notified that U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a press release announcing all 50 states’ election systems had been designated as “critical infrastructure.” Nationally, there are 16 critical infrastructure sectors and 20 subsectors that are eligible to receive prioritized cybersecurity assistance from Homeland Security. Election Infrastructure was established as a subsector within the Government Facilities Sector.

“As immediate Past-President of NASS, I am appalled at the deafness of the Obama administration, but not surprised,” Schedler wrote. “The outgoing President is consistently governed by his own sense of priorities regardless of the opinions of the American people. It has been obvious and even acknowledged by Secretary Johnson in his announcement that there is much trepidation among the states concerning the critical infrastructure designation yet he forged ahead during the last minutes of the administration.”

Schedler urged President-elect Trump to rescind the designation as soon as possible describing the move as an intrusion on state’s rights held within the Constitution and a dangerous step towards nationalizing elections. Schedler recalled during the 2016 Presidential Election cycle that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security took an interest in election processes in response to cybersecurity concerns. In doing so, Secretary Johnson set up a working group to voluntarily assist states who sought guidance. Louisiana however, was already fully prepared and had implemented all of the recommendations made by Johnson’s agency.

“It was clear to me after meeting with Homeland Security, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office that they lacked the basic understanding necessary to assist in ‘securing’ our nationally recognized system,” said Schedler. “This is a federal intrusion issue and should not be taken lightly.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announcement stated, “This designation does not mean a federal takeover, regulation, oversight or intrusion concerning elections in this country,” which is why Schedler, along with several other secretaries of state directly questioned Johnson during a conference call, as to the exact changes that could result from the designation and why it was necessary. Johnson admitted that election assistance would be granted to states regardless of any formal designation. Furthermore, he could not adequately explain why it was immediately necessary.

Schedler’s letter followed a strong response from the National Association of Secretaries of State which read in part, “U.S. Homeland Security Jeh Johnson’s announcement of a critical infrastructure classification for elections systems is legally and historically unprecedented, raising many questions and concerns for states and localities with authority over the administration of our voting process. Americans need to know that the November 2016 election—the voting process itself—was not hacked or subject to manipulation in any way. No credible evidence of hacking, including attempted hacking of voting machines or vote counting, was ever presented or discovered in any state. State and local autonomy over elections is our greatest asset against malicious cyberattacks and manipulation. While we recognize the need to share information on threats and risk mitigation in our elections at all levels of government, as we did throughout the 2016 election cycle, it is unclear why a critical infrastructure classification is now necessary.”

Schedler says he and other secretaries will continue to discuss the issue and possibly consider a resolution in response to the critical infrastructure designation during the NASS Winter meeting to be held in Washington D.C. in mid-February. Additionally, Louisiana citizens who oppose the designation are encouraged to visit www.protectlouisianaelections.com to sign a petition in support of his efforts.

“I have yet to hear of a single secretary of state from either side of the aisle who is in favor of this designation,” said Schedler. “We all feel railroaded by this announcement and have serious concerns about the way in which this announcement was delivered and its timing. When it comes to election integrity, I am not going to let the federal government have the keys to our secured election system unless they can better articulate their intentions,” emphasized Schedler.

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Media Advisory: Electoral College to meet at State Capitol

MEDIA ADVISORY: ELECTORAL COLLEGE TO MEET AT STATE CAPITOL

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler will host the meeting of Louisiana’s Electoral College on Monday, Dec. 19 in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol beginning at 11:30 a.m. Secretary Schedler will administer the oaths of office to the eight electors of the Republican Party prior to their official votes for president and vice president of the United States.

Individuals wishing to watch a live stream of the proceedings can do so through the Secretary of State’s official Facebook page or by going to www.legis.la.gov and clicking on the live streaming link.

Louisiana’s electors include: Garrett C. Monti, at large; Steven Scott Wilfong, at large; Christopher David Trahan, 1st Congressional District; Lloyd A. Harsch, 2nd Congressional District; Charles L. Buckels, Jr., 3rd Congressional District; Louis R. Avallone, 4th Congressional District; Kay Kellogg Katz, 5th Congressional District; and Lennie H. Rhys, 6th Congressional District. In the event that one of these electors is not present, an alternative elector will assume his/her duties by law.

The Electoral College, administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, is a process that began as part of the original design of the United States Constitution. The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College as a compromise between election of the president by Congress and election by a popular voter. The people of the United States vote for the electors who then vote for president.

For more information on the Electoral College, visit https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Electoral College 2016 Agenda

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that SATURDAY, DEC. 10 is Election Day across the state. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for the U.S. Senate, the 3^rd and 4^th Congressional Districts, municipal races across the state and 156 propositions in 44 parishes. Since this is a Saturday election, the polls open at 7 A.M.

In preparation for Tuesday’s election activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via GeauxVote Mobile.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Voters will receive a limited-edition I Voted sticker featuring Louisiana artist George Rodrigue’s beloved Blue Dog.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via the GeauxVote app and the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

“Based on historical voting patterns and participation in early voting, we are anticipating statewide turnout of just below 30 percent which is significantly lower than we saw in November,” says Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “There are still many important elections to be decided in our state, so I encourage everyone to go exercise their right to vote and to educate themselves on the candidates and the issues before going to the polls. Every vote counts, so geaux vote!”

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system TUESDAY, DEC. 6, 2016 at 2 P.M. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS. (Orleans Parish will not test until Friday, Dec. 9.)

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to election night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

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Early voting begins Saturday for December runoffs

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY FOR DECEMBER RUNOFFS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the 2016 General Election to consider voting early. Early voting begins SATURDAY, NOV. 26 and continues through SATURDAY, DEC. 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Nov. 27.

“Early voting during the long holiday weekend should be quick and easy,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “Turnout for general elections in December is historically low, around 20 percent compared to almost 70 percent in November, and we know a lot of voters will be out of town with family which means little or no waiting for those wanting to cast their ballot early.”

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. In addition to the runoff for U.S. Senate as well as Congressional Districts 3 and 4, voters will also be deciding municipal races in many parishes along with 156 propositions in 44 parishes.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations, visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Election Day reminders

ELECTION DAY REMINDERS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that TUESDAY, NOV. 8 is Election Day across the state. Eligible voters will be casting ballots for the presidential election, U.S. Senate and six constitutional amendments as well as an assortment of local races and propositions beginning at 6 A.M.

In preparation for Tuesday’s election activities, Secretary Schedler is encouraging voters to remember:

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Voters can find their precinct and sample ballot by downloading the GeauxVote Mobile app for smartphones or by visiting www.sos.la.gov.
Voters can also sign up for text alerts via the GeauxVote Mobile app.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature such as a passport). Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote.
Voters will receive a limited-edition I Voted sticker featuring Louisiana artist George Rodrigue’s beloved Blue Dog.
Ballot selfies are legal, but voters are reminded to be courteous of voters waiting in line. Remember, your ballot is protected and private unless you disclose it.
Election results can be viewed in real-time via the GeauxVote Mobile app and the Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.la.gov.

“We anticipate a strong turnout on Tuesday across the state perhaps surpassing our 2012 record of 67.9 percent,” says Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “This is an election like no other in our nation, and I encourage everyone to go exercise their right to vote and to educate themselves on the candidates and the issues before going to the polls so we can minimize wait times. Every vote counts, so geaux vote!”

- www.sos.la.gov -

Secretary Schedler warns businesses about misleading mailers

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is notifying all business owners to be cautious when receiving mailers concerning “potential compliance violations” from a company called Business Compliance Division. Business Compliance Division is not affiliated or associated with Louisiana state government in any way. It is a private company, and Louisiana corporations are not required to call or have any dealings with this company at all. Mailers from this company should be discarded immediately.

In past years, Commercial Division customers have also received correspondence from Corporate Records Service, Louisiana Corporate Compliance Business Services and Corporate Compliance Company. Phone calls earlier this year came from a company named Louisiana Council for Corporations and were also fraudulent. These companies are also not affiliated or associated with Louisiana state government in any way.

As a reminder, our office offers an email notification system aimed at protecting Louisiana business owners from fraud and identity theft. Anyone can subscribe to the system which generates messages regarding changes to commercial entities, non-governmental correspondence, office closures and most importantly, warnings involving possible fraudulent activity.

For more information, visit www.sos.la.gov or contact a Commercial Division staff member at 225.925.4704 or commercial@sos.la.gov.

Secretary of state to test election results

SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system THURSDAY, NOV. 3 AT 10 A.M. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to election night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

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Election Day polling location changes in Ascension, East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes

ATTENTION ASCENSION, EAST BATON ROUGE AND LIVINGSTON PARISH VOTERS

Due to flood damage, some Election Day polling locations have been moved for the Nov. 8 and Dec. 10, 2016 elections. View the listings by parish to find your new location.

For more information, call the Louisiana Secretary of State's Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or parish's clerk of court or registrar of voters.

Ascension
225.621.8400 COC
225.621.5780 ROV

East Baton Rouge
225.295.4765 COC
225.389.3940 ROV

Livingston
225.686.2216 COC
225.686.3054 ROV

Last day of early voting Tuesday

LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING TUESDAY

Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, is the last day to cast an early vote in the 2016 Presidential Election. Turnout to date has been extremely high, breaking record numbers from 2008 and 2012. On average, close to 73,000 people cast their vote daily during the early voting period statewide. Through Saturday, 366,620 voters have participated in early voting. A total of 3 million people are registered to vote in Louisiana.

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. In addition to the election for president, there are more than 220 races statewide involving 728 candidates. Additionally, there are six constitutional amendments voters will be asked to decide as well as 78 propositions across 38 parishes.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Letter to Voters: Election Integrity

Letter to Voters: Election Integrity

Dear Louisiana Citizens,

I and the undersigned state leaders wish to address growing concerns and rumors about the integrity of the state's election system after a series of national news stories indicated the possibility of hackers gaining access to both registration systems as well as voting machines in states other than Louisiana. It is important to emphasize the fact that Louisiana has a nationally recognized process that includes multiple layers of checks and balances which protect our election process and makes it uniquely secure.

As Secretary of State it is my job to make voting easy and cheating hard. It's a delicate balance to make sure that our citizens can vote without hassle, but that those intent on breaking the law are easily detected. As we have reviewed our security measures, I feel we have the right balance in place. Louisiana doesn't have same day registration, Louisiana doesn't have universal registration. And Louisiana is not a mail ballot state. If we had those components, I would worry more about Election Day fraud, but we don't. What we do have is a long-standing photo I.D. law which works extremely well in identifying voters when they appear at the polls. Our voting machines are never connected to the internet and have the most up to date software available. That's not the case in every state, but voters can rest assured that our machine counts are extremely accurate and can be backed up with a paper audit after each election.

In addition to addressing voting machine security, I along with other state leaders wish to provide reassurance that Louisiana's online voter registration system includes security features aimed at preventing hacks similar to those in Arizona and Illinois.

While citizens can register to vote online through sos.la.gov, the information collected does not flow directly into our statewide registration database. Instead, voter's information is sent from the website to each parish Registrar of Voters' Office for verification and final processing. This provides the checks and balances necessary to ensure the integrity of our election systems.

The Secretary of State's Office has also been working cooperatively with Louisiana's Clerks of Court and Registrars of Voters to reassure voters and Election Day commissioners about machine security as well as registration data. As your secretary of state I addressed registrars during the annual Election Academy held in August and addressed the Louisiana Clerks of Court Association meeting in mid-September.

Voters should know their vote will count and should not be discouraged from participating. Voter fraud is no joking matter and executing a fair election is a job we all take very seriously as demonstrated by our processes which include back-ups and paper records which have proven valuable not only for security purposes but in times of disaster such as after Hurricane Katrina. Our systems are tested and we are on high alert for any irregularities which might be detected.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler
President of the Senate John Alario
Speaker of the House Taylor Barras
Senate Rep. Delegation Chair, Sen. Danny Martiny
House Rep. Delegation Chair, Rep. Lance Harris
Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, Chair Senate & Gov't Affairs Committee
Rep. Mike Danahay, Chair House & Governmental Affairs Committee
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair, Sen. Eric LaFleur
House Democratic Caucus Chair, Rep. Gene Reynolds

Early voting begins Tuesday, runs through Nov. 1

EARLY VOTING BEGINS TUESDAY, RUNS THROUGH NOV. 1

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the 2016 Presidential Election to consider voting early. Early voting begins on TUESDAY, OCT. 25 and continues through TUESDAY, NOV. 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Oct. 30.

“Early voting is a great way to conveniently cast your ballot and can make participating quick and easy,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “Presidential elections are always Louisiana’s highest turnout elections, and that means lots of people will be in line on Election Day. Early voting gives people a whole week to vote when it’s convenient for them and lines may be shorter. And remember, anyone who votes early, in-person, will receive a limited edition Blue Dog I Voted sticker to wear proudly.”

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. In addition to the election for president, there are more than 220 races statewide involving 728 candidates. Additionally, there are six constitutional amendments voters will be asked to decide as well as 78 propositions across 38 parishes.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Rodrigue Blue Dog stickers to boost Election Day participation

RODRIGUE BLUE DOG STICKERS TO BOOST ELECTION DAY PARTICIPATION

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler hopes George Rodrigue’s iconic Louisiana artwork will entice voters to cast their ballot during the 2016 Presidential Elections next month. Schedler, along with Rodrigue’s widow, Wendy, and sons, Jacques and André, unveiled the state’s official “I VOTED” sticker today emblazoned with George Rodrigue’s painting featuring the Blue Dog and an American flag.

Schedler says he is proud to partner with the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) in using an original image by artist George Rodrigue entitled Stand Up Straight and Tall (2001). Rodrigue’s family generously granted the Secretary of State permission to use the painting, which is part of the permanent collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art, for the “I VOTED” stickers.

“We were looking for a way to make this Presidential Election unique and exciting for Louisiana voters,” said Secretary Schedler. “We traditionally have robust turnout when we elect the President, but I’m hoping this sticker will put us over the top in terms of turnout. I have a feeling everyone is going to want to show their patriotism and pride by proudly wearing this nationally-famous Louisiana artist’s ‘I VOTED’ sticker.”

“I VOTED” stickers will be available to participating voters at each polling location on Election Day and at every early voting site in Louisiana. Early voting begins in Louisiana on Oct. 25 and runs through Nov. 1. Election Day across the country is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

A native of New Iberia, La., artist George Rodrigue (1944-2013) often demonstrated his patriotism in his paintings. In the book The Cajuns of George Rodrigue (1976, Oxmoor House), he wrote, “I have a series of paintings showing the American flag to reveal the strong national pride of the Cajun. He wanted to be a part of something; he wanted a country; he wanted to be an American. At last he found the country in which he is happy, in which he can fulfill the dream of his forefathers of living somewhere where freedom exists.”

Echoing his father’s sense of patriotism and public spirit, Jacques Rodrigue, Executive Director of the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts, said he is excited to see his father’s work send a positive message to voters across the state. “Participating in the election process and electing good government representation is one of our most important civic duties. Partnering with Secretary Schedler to inspire citizens to take part in this election cycle is something that spoke to me and I think my dad would have loved,” said Rodrigue.

The unveiling of the “I VOTED” sticker coincides with a timely exhibit at Rodrigue Studio New Orleans which opened Oct. 6 and marks the 20th anniversary of Rodrigues’s landmark “Blue Dog for President” exhibition held at Union Station in Washington D.C. during the 1996 Presidential Election. The Rodrigue family has recreated that exhibit sharing patriotic works spanning 40 years, including Rodrigue’s strong red, white and blue designs from his Blue Dog Series his original paintings following 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina and his iconic portraits of Louisiana Governors Huey Long and Earl Long, as well as portraits of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Also on view is his famous Washington Blue Dog, featuring the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

“Visiting the exhibit in New Orleans and proudly displaying an ‘I VOTED’ sticker on Election Day are just a couple ways Louisianians can make this election season unique and special,” emphasized Schedler. “George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog Series is important within the story of contemporary American art. It is also such a positive symbol for our state and helps spread the word about the outstanding work done by the Rodrigue Foundation in terms of art education for our young people.”

Artist George Rodrigue established the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) in 2009 to advocate the importance of the arts in the development of our youth. GRFA encourages the use of art within all curriculums and supports a variety of arts educational program, providing educators with the tools needed to incorporate the arts into their classrooms. GRFA programs are open to all accredited schools in Louisiana, and online resources benefit schools worldwide.

To learn more about the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts visit www.georgerodriguefoundation.org. And to find out more about voting in Louisiana go to www.GeauxVote.com.

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Blue Dog "I VOTED" Sticker
Blue Dog Painting Stand Up Straight and Tall
Blue Dog "I VOTED" Sticker Printed
Blue Dog "I VOTED" Sticker Rolls

Media Advisory: Secretary of State Tom Schedler to announce election initiative

MEDIA ADVISORY: SECRETARY OF STATE TOM SCHEDLER TO ANNOUNCE ELECTION INITIATIVE

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler will be announcing an exciting election initiative aimed at increasing turnout for the 2016 Presidential Election at noon during the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, Oct. 10, 2016. Following the Press Club announcement in Baton Rouge, a similar announcement will be made in New Orleans at the New Orleans Museum of Art beginning at 3:30 p.m. Secretary Schedler will be joined in both locations by several special guests who have partnered with him on this unique Louisiana project for the Nov. 8 election.

Louisiana was one of only two states in the nation to increase participation during the 2012 Presidential Election cycle reaching 67.9 percent turnout. The last day to register to vote for the November election is Tuesday, Oct. 11 and early voting in Louisiana begins Tuesday, Oct. 25.

Press Club meets on Mondays in the Iberville Room of the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel located at 102 France Street in Baton Rouge. Lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. at a cost of $12 for members and $15 for non-members.

The Press Club is open to the public, but only members of the Press Club and members of the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.

The New Orleans Museum of Art is located at 1 Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans, LA 70124.

- www.sos.la.gov -

State Archives offers advice for salvaging flooded documents and photographs

STATE ARCHIVES OFFERS ADVICE FOR SALVAGING FLOODED DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

BATON ROUGE, La.—The Louisiana State Archives, under the direction of Secretary of State Tom Schedler, is offering advice for citizens trying to recover flooded documents and photographs across south Louisiana. Specific directions for all kinds of records, including photographs, can be found on the homepage of the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

Below are some basic steps to salvage water damaged documents:

If items have been submerged, leave them submerged until they can be air dried or frozen. Move to clean water if possible.
Air dry flat in small piles (1/2 inch) or individually if possible. Move into an area where the air is circulating if possible. Use fans if available. Do not direct stream of air onto documents but into the room to keep air moving. Screens can be laid on top to prevent items from blowing around.
Put wet material on an absorbent layer of blotter material like blank newsprint or paper towels. Change blotting material beneath the materials as it becomes soaked. If small clumps of records are fanned out to dry, they should be turned every few hours to encourage evaporation from both sides.
If the volume of material is great, freeze those items which cannot be air dried within 48 hours. The material can then be unthawed when you have the time and materials to air dry. This can be accomplished with a common household freezer. If items can be left in the freezer for a few months, they will dry themselves through a process called sublimation.

Additionally, the steps below can be used for photographs that have been water logged:

In general, wet photographs should be air dried or frozen as quickly as possible.
Separate photographs from their enclosures, frames and from each other. If they are stuck together or adhered to glass, set them aside for freezing.
Spread photographs out to dry, face up, laying them flat on an absorbent material such as blotters, unprinted newsprint, paper towels or a clean cloth.
Keep the air around the drying materials moving at all times. Fans will speed up the drying process and minimize the risk of mold growth.
Negatives should be dried vertically. They can be hung on a line with plastic clips placed at the edges.
Photos may curl during drying. They can be flattened later.
Photos that are stuck together can be frozen by wrapping them in wax paper.
Later, as stacks of photos are thawed, individual photographs can be carefully peeled from the group and placed face up on a clean, absorbent surface to air dry.

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Presidential qualifying ongoing despite emergency

PRESIDENTIAL QUALIFYING ONGOING DESPITE EMERGENCY

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler says qualifying for the Presidential Election is still occurring in Louisiana despite the historic flooding emergency. The deadline for qualifying remains FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2016 at 4:30 P.M.

Staff are manning the Secretary of State’s Office to accept presidential qualifying paperwork in person, but are also accepting documents via email, fax and mail. For qualifiers who are concerned about getting original signatures to us in time, they may fax to 225.922.1167 or 225.922.0945 AND send via the U.S. Postal Service as follow up. They may also scan documents and email them to admin@sos.la.gov and then send via the U.S. Postal Service as follow up.

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Media Advisory: Qualifying begins Wednesday for 2016 Congressional/Presidential Elections

MEDIA ADVISORY: QUALIFYING BEGINS WEDNESDAY FOR 2016 CONGRESSIONAL/PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

BATON ROUGE, La.—Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds everyone that qualifying for the November Congressional Primary/Presidential Election begins on Wednesday, July 20 and runs through Friday, July 22.

All candidates for local municipal races will qualify with their parish clerk of court. All candidates for U.S. Senator, U.S. Representatives, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Judges and Public Service Commissioners will qualify at the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office located at 8585 Archives Ave. in Baton Rouge. Hours of operation for the secretary of state are 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. Check with your local clerk of court for specific parish hours.

The media is invited to attend qualifying at the Secretary of State’s Office and will have the opportunity to interview and/or photograph candidates as they file their paperwork.

Once qualified, candidates will appear on the secretary of state’s website in real-time under “Elections & Voting,” “Get Election Information,” “Search for Candidates,” or by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/CandidateInquiry?electiondate=20161108.

***PLEASE NOTE***
By law, presidential electors for political parties that are recognized in Louisiana (Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian and Reform) qualify by submitting a certificate of nomination as well as an affidavit of acceptance. The deadline for the chairman and secretary of the state central committee or the chairman and secretary of the convention to file the required documentation with the Louisiana secretary of state is AUG. 16, 2016 AT 4:30 P.M. (If the state central committee does not meet the aforementioned deadline, the national chairman may file the required documentation no later than AUG. 19, 2016 AT 4:30 P.M.)

Independent candidates for president can file their Notice of Candidacy as well as an Affidavit of Acceptance of Nomination with the Louisiana secretary of state along with a qualifying fee or nominating petition beginning TUESDAY, JULY 19 through FRIDAY, AUG. 19, 2016 AT 4:30 P.M.

The Fall Congressional Primary/Presidential Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016 and the Fall Congressional General Election will be held on Saturday, Dec. 10. For more information on qualifying, visit the secretary of state’s website at www.sos.la.gov.

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Secretary Schedler to complete presidency of National Association of Secretaries of State

SECRETARY SCHEDLER TO COMPLETE PRESIDENCY OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECRETARIES OF STATE

Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler will complete his term as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State this Sunday during that group’s annual summer conference in Nashville, Tenn. which begins today. Secretary Schedler officially assumed the presidency last year, but has presided over NASS events since January of 2015 after NASS President and Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown stepped down to become governor.

“Oregon’s Secretary Brown had to unexpectedly leave our winter conference and return to her home state to be sworn in as governor,” said Secretary Schedler. “So I stepped in and presided over the event for NASS in 2015, but wasn’t officially sworn in until last summer. For some reason, it’s been a hallmark of my political career. People I respect ask me to step into leadership positions, and I always do. The pull of public service is strong for me,” Schedler stated.

During his tenure as NASS president, Schedler and his secretary of state colleagues have focused their efforts on hosting training sessions for participating states including conferences focusing on information technology and communication strategies. Additionally, NASS assisted states impacted by the Panama Papers by suggesting national solutions using existing resources instead of costly federal legislation that has proven controversial. However, it is NASS’ spirit of non-partisan collaboration that has most impressed Schedler.

“More than ever, the efforts of NASS states to cooperate on every issue, in a bipartisan manner, is extremely refreshing,” said Schedler. “Through this organization we all have learned from our colleagues and are able to bring best practices back to our states on issues including election administration, commercial filings and archival activities just to name a few. In this leadership role I have also been able to showcase Louisiana programs such as the award-winning GeauxVote Mobile smartphone app and our geauxBIZ commercial portal to our partner states who have in many cases reached out to us for continued advice and guidance,” emphasized Schedler. Schedler is only the second Louisiana secretary of state to become NASS president besides Wade O. Martin who served 36 years as Louisiana’s secretary of state and was appointed NASS president from 1947 to 1948. Schedler was first asked to serve on the NASS Executive Board as secretary in 2013 and was later appointed as treasurer in 2014 by Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, placing Schedler in line for the presidency in 2015.

“Tom has established great working relationships with members from across the country and is viewed as a mentor and valued resource for guidance and information,” said Secretary Tre Hargett of Tennessee. “Many of the innovative initiatives being implemented in Louisiana including the award-winning GeauxVote app, online voter registration and emergency preparedness as it relates to elections are of great interest to other secretaries of state and their staffs. One of Tom’s best assets is his willingness to share those ideas and information for the betterment of all.”

NASS is the oldest, non-partisan professional organization of public officials in the United States. Members include the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico. NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services and digital archiving, international relations and state securities regulation, as well as several well-established awards programs.

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Secretary Schedler says Nungesser got it wrong

SECRETARY SCHEDLER SAYS NUNGESSER GOT IT WRONG

Secretary of State Tom Schedler released the following comments in response Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser’s statements concerning voting in Louisiana which were published in an article in the Monroe News Star today.

http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/local/2016/07/11/nungesser-people-our-best-asset/86947354/

"I was shocked to read the News Star’s article entitled, “Nungesser: People are Louisiana’s best asset” which included an irresponsible comment from the Lt. Governor throwing the state’s nationally recognized election process into question. I hesitate to even repeat the nonsensical statement which was, at a minimum uninformed, and quite possibly an insult to not only my office but also our hard-working clerks of court and registrars of voters who are our trusted partners for every election,” said Secretary Schedler.

“Lt. Governor Nungesser implied that voters can show up by the bus load at any early voting site, even if they are not registered, sign a sheet of paper, and have their vote count. But in reality, NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH and in practice, his claim is impossible to execute.

By law, early voters must show up at their Registrar of Voters Office or an approved early voting site, show their I.D., be found in the voter registration data base, have a personalized precinct voting card handed to them and then cast their ballot. If they are not a registered voter, the process for voting on a machine does not move forward. EVER. Louisiana does allow for provisional voting in federal elections which allows voters to cast a conditional paper ballot if questions arise as to their eligibility. But make no mistake, by law, these votes ARE NOT COUNTED until the voter is proven to be eligible. Not before.

After having been elected twice as Secretary of State, I think the Lt. Governor, who is only six months into his term, should know to defer to me when it comes to the complex arena of election law. Especially since Louisiana is ranked among the top states in the nation for the integrity of our election process and procedures.”

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Voter Registration Week 2016 begins May 9

VOTER REGISTRATION WEEK 2016 BEGINS MAY 9

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler is joining registrars of voters across the state the week of May 9-13, 2016 to host Voter Registration Week activities aimed at registering eligible citizens to vote. Voter Registration Week activities by parish can be found on the Secretary of State’s website at http://www.sos.la.gov/Pages/NewsAndEvents.aspx#faq130.

“Registering to vote is a right we should all cherish, and we’ve made it quick and easy to do so,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “In addition to events held by the registrars, our Voter Outreach Division will be set up in the Rotunda of the Louisiana State Capitol on Wednesday to distribute materials to legislators and to register visitors to vote. It’s a great opportunity to meet face-to-face with lawmakers and let them know about the services provided and materials available to educate their constituents about voting in Louisiana.”

Louisiana was one of the first states in the nation to implement an easy, convenient online voter registration portal. Citizens with a valid Louisiana driver’s license can register online 24 hours a day, seven days a week from the convenience of their home or office by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov.

Residents of Louisiana can also register in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office, when they apply for/renew their driver’s license at any Office of Motor Vehicles or when obtaining services at public assistance agencies and armed forces recruitment offices. Citizens wishing to register by mail can complete the application at http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/PublishedDocuments/ApplicationToRegisterToVote.pdf, public libraries or through registration drives.

To register and vote in Louisiana individuals must be:

a U.S. citizen;
at least 17 years old to register and 18 years old prior to the next election to vote;
not under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony;
not under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights; and
a resident in the state and parish in which you seek to register and vote.

For more information on elections, visit www.GeauxVote.com or the GeauxVote Mobile smartphone app.

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Voter Registration Week 2016

Louisiana's annual Voter Registration Week will be observed statewide from May 9-13, 2016. Below is a comprehensive listing of scheduled activities and will be revised as information is received from each parish registrar of voters. For more information, contact your parish registrar of voters.

Acadia Parish

Tuesday, May 10
Staff will travel throughout the parish delivering voter registration applications to area agencies.
Wednesday, May 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Burger Zone, 1426 N. Parkerson Ave., Crowley
Thursday, May 12 from 8:30-11 a.m.
USPS, 123 E. Third St., Crowley
Friday, May 13 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Acadia Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 568 NW Court Circle, Crowley

Assumption Parish

Monday, May 9 from 9-10:30 a.m.
Bayou L'Ourse Supermarket
Tuesday, May 10 from 9-10:30 a.m.
Big B's Supermarket
Wednesday, May 11 from 10-11:30 a.m.
Pierre Part Library
Thursday, May 12 from 8:30-10 a.m.
Robert's Food Store
Friday, May 13 from 10-11:30 a.m.
LeBlanc Payless Supermarket

Bienville Parish

Tuesday, May 10 from 9-9:30 a.m.
Castor Branch Library
Tuesday, May 10 from 10:30-11 a.m.
Saline Branch Library
Wednesday, May 11 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Ringgold Branch Library
Wednesday, May 11 from 10:45-11 a.m.
Bienville Parish Courthouse Annex
Thursday, May 12 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
VF Factory Outlet Mall

Bossier Parish

Monday, May 9 from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Haughton Library, 226 W. McKinley St., Haughton, LA 71037
Monday, May 9 from 3-4 p.m.
E. 80 Library, 1050 Bellevue Road, Haughton, LA 71037
Tuesday, May 10 from 2-4 p.m.
Plain Dealing Library, 208 E. Mary Lee St., Plain Dealing, LA 71064
Wednesday, May 11 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Council on Aging, 706 Bearkat Drive, Bossier City, LA 71111
Wednesday, May 11 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Benton Library, 115 Courthouse Drive, Benton, LA 71006
Thursday, May 12 from 9-11:30 a.m.
N.W. Veterans' Home, 3130 Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, Bossier City, LA 71112
Thursday, May 12 from 1-3 p.m.
Central Library, 2600 Beckett St., Bossier City, LA 71111
Friday, May 13 from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Aulds Library, 3920 Wayne Ave., Bossier City, LA 71112
Friday, May 13 from 1-3 p.m.
Anna P. Tooke Library, 451 Fairview Point Road, Elm Grove, LA 71051

Caddo Parish

Monday, May 9 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Mooretown Branch, 4630 Hollywood Ave.
Monday, May 9 from noon-1:30 p.m.
Wallette Branch, 363 Hearne Ave.
Monday, May 9 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road
Tuesday, May 10 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Cedar Grove Branch, 8303 Line Ave.
Tuesday, May 10 from noon-1:30 p.m.
Hamilton/South Caddo Branch, 2111 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Tuesday, May 10 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Hollywood/Union Branch, 2105 Hollywood Ave.
Wednesday, May 11 from 9:30-11 a.m.
West Shreveport Branch, 4300 Pines Road
Wednesday, May 11 from noon-1:30 p.m.
North Shreveport Branch, 4844 N. Market St.
Wednesday, May 11 from 2-3:30 p.m.
David Raines Center, 2855 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Thursday, May 12 from 9:30-11 a.m.
Mooretown Branch, 4630 Hollywood Ave.
Thursday, May 12 from noon-1:30 p.m.
Atkins Branch, 3704 Greenwood Road
Thursday, May 12 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Broadmoor Resource Center, 1212 Captain Shreve Drive
Friday, May 13 from 10 a.m.-noon
Vivian/North Caddo Branch, 615 N. Pine St., Vivian
Friday, May 13 from 1-3 p.m.
David Raines Center, 2855 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

Calcasieu Parish

Monday, May 9 from 9-10 a.m.
LaGrange Senior High, 3420 Louisiana Ave., Lake Charles
Tuesday, May 10 from 10 a.m.-noon
Carnegie Memorial Library, 411 Pujo St., Lake Charles
Wednesday, May 11 from 1-3 p.m.
Epps Memorial Library, 1320 N. Simmons St., Lake Charles
Thursday, May 12 from 11 a.m.-noon
Lake Charles Care Center, 2701 Ernest St., Lake Charles
Friday, May 13 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Calcasieu Parish Courthouse, 1000 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Cameron Parish

Monday, May 9 from 9-11 a.m.
Lowry Library, 460 Lowry Highway, Lowry, LA 70549
Tuesday, May 10 from 9-11 a.m.
Grand Lake Library, 10200 Gulf Highway, Grand Lake, LA 70607
Tuesday, May 10 from 2-4 p.m.
Cameron Library, 401 Marshall St., Cameron, LA 70631
Wednesday, May 11 from 9-11 a.m.
Grand Chenier Library, 2867 Grand Chenier Highway, Grand Chenier, LA 70643
Thursday, May 12 from 9-11 a.m.
Hackberry Library, 983 Main St., Hackberry, LA 70645
Thursday, May 12 from noon-2 p.m.
Johnson Bayou Library, 4586 Gulf Beach Highway, Johnson Bayou, LA 70631

East Baton Rouge Parish

Monday, May 9 from 1-6 p.m.
Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
Monday, May 9 from 1-6 p.m.
River Center Branch Library, 120 St. Louis St.
Monday, May 9 from 1-6 p.m.
Scotlandville Branch Library, 7373 Scenic Highway
Tuesday, May 10 from 1-6 p.m.
Central Branch Library, 11260 Joor Road
Tuesday, May 10 from 1-6 p.m.
Fairwood Branch Library, 12910 Old Hammond Highway
Tuesday, May 10 from 1-6 p.m.
Zachary Branch Library, 1900 Church St.
Wednesday, May 11 from 1-6 p.m.
Carver Branch Library, 720 Terrace St.
Wednesday, May 11 from 1-6 p.m.
Delmont Gardens Branch Library, 3351 Lorraine St.
Wednesday, May 11 from 1-6 p.m.
Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd.
Thursday, May 12 from 1-6 p.m.
Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library, 13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road
Thursday, May 12 from 1-6 p.m.
Eden Park Branch Library, 5131 Greenwell Springs Road
Thursday, May 12 from 1-6 p.m.
Greenwell Springs Road Branch Library, 11300 Greenwell Springs Road
Friday, May 13 from 1-6 p.m.
Jones Creek Regional Branch Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road
Friday, May 13 from 1-6 p.m.
Baker Branch Library, 3501 Groom Road

Iberville Parish

Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
White Castle Branch Library
Monday, May 9-Thursday, May 12 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Iberville Parish Registrar of Voters Office
Tuesday, May 10 from 9-11 a.m.
Rosedale Branch Library
Wednesday, May 11 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
East Iberville Branch Library
Friday, May 13 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Iberville Parish Registrar of Voters Office

Jefferson Parish

Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Lakeside Shopping Center Mall, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
East Jefferson Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Oakwood Shopping Center Mall, 197 Westbank Expressway, Gretna
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
West Jefferson Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey

Registration applications will also be available to be picked up at all Jefferson Parish public libraries and at the following locations:

Kenner City Hall, 1801 Williams Blvd., Kenner
Harahan City Hall, 6437 Jefferson Highway, Harahan
Gretna City Hall, 200 Huey P. Long Ave., Gretna
Westwego City Hall, 419 Avenue A, Westwego

Lafayette Parish

Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Delta College, 200 Republic Ave., Suite F, Lafayette, LA 70508
Tuesday, May 10 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
2016 LEDA Job Fair/Cajundome Convention Center, 444 Cajundome Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70506
Wednesday, May 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
South Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA 70503
Thursday, May 12 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
United State Postal Service, 1105 Moss St., Lafayette, LA 70501
Friday, May 13 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Lafayette Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 1010 Lafayette St., Suite 313, Lafayette, LA 70501

Lafourche Parish

Friday, May 6 from 9 a.m.-noon
South Lafourche Library, 16241 E. Main St., Galliano
Saturday, May 7 from 8 a.m.-noon
Lafourche Central Market, 4484 Highway 1, Raceland
Monday, May 9 from 2-4 p.m.
Lockport Library, 720 Crescent Ave., Lockport
Tuesday, May 10 from 7:30 a.m.-1:40 p.m.
Central Lafourche High School, 4820 Highway 1, Raceland
Tuesday, May 10 from 2-3 p.m.
Raceland Manor Nursing Home, 4302 Highway 1, Raceland
Wednesday, May 11 from 10-11 a.m.
The Broadway Elder Living, 7534 Highway 1, Lockport
Wednesday, May 11 from 1-3 p.m.
Golden Meadow Library, 1403 N. Bayou Drive, Golden Meadow
Thursday, May 12 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
St. Joseph Manor, 1201 Cardinal Drive, Thibodaux
Thursday, May 12 from 2-4 p.m.
the residence of Vivian Comardelle (polling location), 148 W. Bayou Road, Des Allemands
Friday, May 13 from 10-11 a.m.
Lafourche Home for the Aged, 1002 Tiger Drive, Thibodaux
Tuesday, May 17 from 10-11 a.m.
Thibodaux Healthcare Center, 1300 Lafourche Drive, Thibodaux

Madison Parish

Monday, May 9 from 1-2:30 p.m.
Madison Parish Library, 403 N. Mulberry St., Tallulah
Tuesday, May 10 from 9-10:30 a.m.
Second Annual Registrar of Voters Brunch, 100 N. Cedar St., Tallulah
Wednesday, May 11 from 9-10 a.m.
Olive Branch Nursing Home, 32 Crothers Drive, Tallulah
Thursday, May 12 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Madison Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 100 N. Cedar St., Tallulah
Friday, May 13 from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Annual Voter Registration Week Luncheon/Fanfare, Madison Parish Courthouse, 100 N. Cedar St., Tallulah

Orleans Parish

Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13
City Hall, Room 1W24
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13
225 Morgan St., Room 205
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13
Picture Me Rollin Barbershop, 8480 Morrison Road
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13
Mr. Chill's Barbershop, 2734 Carrollton Ave.
Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13
all New Orleans public libraries
Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Algiers Regional Library
Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Robert E. Smith Library
Monday, May 9 from 1-3:30 p.m.
Whole Foods, Magazine Street
Tuesday, May 10 from 10 a.m.-noon
VIET
Tuesday, May 10 from 11:30 a.m.-noon
New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School
Tuesday, May 10 from noon-1:30 p.m.
Joseph S. Clark High School
Tuesday, May 10 from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
Home Life Garden Senior Center
Wednesday, May 11 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Benjamin Franklin High School
Wednesday, May 11 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
East New Orleans Library
Wednesday, May 11 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Main Library (Loyola)
Thursday, May 12 from 10:45-11:15 a.m.
Mercy Endeavor Senior Center
Thursday, May 12 from 1:30-3 p.m.
Woldenberg Village
Thursday, May 12 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Chateau de Notre Dame
Friday, May 13 from 10:30 a.m.-noon
U.S. Immigration
Friday, May 13 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Hope Credit Union
Friday, May 13 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Rosa F. Keller

Rapides Parish

Monday, May 9 at 1 p.m.
Rapides Parish Senior Citizens Center, 209 E. Shamrock St., Pineville, LA 71360
Tuesday, May 10 at 11 a.m.
Canterbury House (Assisted Living), 1101 16th St., Alexandria, LA 71301
Tuesday, May 10 at 10:30 a.m.
Rapides Senior Citizens Center, 315 Bolton Ave., Alexandria, LA 71301
Tuesday, May 10 at 10 a.m.
Martin Luther King Senior Citizens Center, 3807 Smash Ave., Alexandria, LA 71302
Wednesday, May 11 at 9 a.m.
Rapides Council on Aging, Inc., 204 Chester St., Alexandria, LA 71301
Wednesday, May 11 at 10 a.m.
Ball Senior Citizens Center, 100 Municipal Lane, Ball, LA 71405
Wednesday, May 11 at 2 p.m.
Alexandria Main Library, 411 Washington St., Alexandria, LA 71301
Wednesday, May 11
Rapides Parish Library, 5408 #16 Provine Place, Alexandria, LA 71303
Thursday, May 12 at 10 a.m.
MLK Library, 3311 Third St., Alexandria, LA 71302
Thursday, May 12 at 11 a.m.
Pineville Library, 801 W. Shamrock Ave., Pineville, LA 71360
Thursday, May 12 at 11 a.m.
Robertson Library Branch, 809 Tioga High Road, Tioga
Thursday, May 12 at 1 p.m.
Gunter Library Branch, 5630 Holloway Road, Libuse
Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m.
Boyce Library Branch, 500 #A Lietrim Ave., Boyce, LA 71409
Friday, May 13 at 2 p.m.
Hineston Library Branch, 1810 Highway 121, Hineston

St. Bernard Parish

Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
St. Bernard Parish Library, 2600 Palmisano Blvd., Chalmette, LA 70043
Tuesday, May 10 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Stage Department Store, 8400 W. Judge Perez Drive, Chalmette, LA 70043
Wednesday, May 11 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Walgreens Drug Store, 100 W. Judge Perez Drive (at corner of Paris Road), Chalmette, LA 70043
Thursday, May 12 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
South Lake Food Store, 7532 E. Judge Perez Drive, Violet, LA 70092
Friday, May 13 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Nicosia's Express Lane, 101 Bayou Road, St. Bernard, LA 70085

St. Charles Parish

Tuesday, May 10 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
St. Rose Post Office, 17724 River Road
Thursday, May 12 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Boutte Post Office, 13322 Highway 90

St. Helena Parish

Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13 from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
St. Helena Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 48 Kendrick St., NFC Building, 1st Floor, Greensburg, LA
Monday, May 9 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Audubon Regional Library, Greensburg
Monday, May 9 from 11 a.m.-noon
Amite Plaza, 30006 Highway 16, Amite
Tuesday, May 10 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Hatfield's Grocery, 24358 Highway 43, Easleyville
Tuesday, May 10 from 1:15-2:30 p.m.
Bebo's, 2938 Highway 38, Kentwood
Wednesday, May 11 from 2-3:30 p.m.
Lee's Grocery, 47785 Highway 16, Denham Springs (Dennis Mills)
Friday, May 13 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Darlington Grocery, 13827 Highway 10, Greensburg

Terrebonne Parish

Wednesday, April 27 at 9 a.m.
Fletcher Community College, St. Charles Street, Houma
Monday, May 9 from 9-10:30 a.m.
Terrebonne Parish Main Library, 151 Library Drive
Tuesday, May 10 from 9-10:30 a.m.
North Branch Library, 4130 W. Park Ave., Gray
Tuesday, May 10 from 2-3 p.m.
The Homestead of Houma, 1132 Cottage Drive
Wednesday, May 11 from 10-11 a.m.
East Houma Library, 778 Grand Caillou Road
Thursday, May 12 from 9-10 a.m.
Shady Land Apartments, 6516 W. Main St.
Thursday, May 12 from 10-11 a.m.
Shady Acres Senior Center, 6512 W. Main St.
Thursday, May 12 from 2-3 p.m.
Chateau-Terrebonne, 1386 W. Tunnel Blvd.
Friday, May 13 from 9-10 a.m.
Oaks of Houma, 400 Monarch Drive
Friday, May 13 from 1-3 p.m.
Bayou Black Elementary School, 4449 Bayou Black Drive

Webster Parish

Monday, May 9-Friday, May 13 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Registrar of Voters Office, Webster Parish Courthouse, 410 Main St., Minden
Tuesday, May 10 from 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Willie & Mary Mack Memorial Branch Library, 217 N. Main St., Springhill
Wednesday, May 11 from 1-3 p.m.
Minden Main Branch Library
521 East and West St., Minden

Secretary of State Voter Outreach Division

Wednesday, May 11 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Louisiana State Capitol, Rotunda

Early voting begins Saturday, runs through April 2nd

EARLY VOTING BEGINS SATURDAY, RUNS THROUGH APRIL 2ND

Secretary of State Tom Schedler is encouraging all Louisianians eligible to vote in the Saturday, April 9, 2016 Municipal General/Special Primary Election to consider voting early. Early voting begins on Saturday, March 26 and continues through Saturday, April 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, March 27.

“Early voting is a great way to conveniently cast your ballot on your schedule instead of having to fit it in on Election Day,” said Secretary of State Tom Schedler. “Saturdays are always busy for individuals and families, especially with Easter and Spring break. I am urging our state’s voters to think ahead and consider early voting now.”

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to vote, what’s on their ballot and their voting districts. Statewide, there are 41 parishes holding elections including Acadia, Ascension, Allen, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Helena, St. James, St. John The Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, West Baton Rouge and Winn.

Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. For a complete listing of early voting locations visit https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

For more information about the Secretary of State’s Elections Division, visit www.GeauxVote.com or call 225.922.0900.

- www.sos.la.gov -

States reconvene national task force on business identity theft

STATES RECONVENE NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON BUSINESS IDENTITY THEFT

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretaries of State from more than a dozen states are joining together to re-establish the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Task Force on Business Identity Theft, a bipartisan initiative aimed at combating the spread of business impersonation and other forms of ID-related fraud.

North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate have been tapped to co-chair the task force's work.

The body is tasked with reviewing state business identity theft prevention and security practices, as well as new issues which have emerged since the original task force wrapped up its in work in 2012.

"As attempts to hijack business identities have increased and grown more sophisticated in North Carolina and other states, this task force can play an important role in coordinating information-sharing and responses," noted Marshall. "Our goal is to improve protections for business and offer practical solutions for the state registration and filing agencies that serve them."

"I am extremely pleased to co-chair this task force," said Pate. "Business ID theft is a very serious issue across the country and requires a joint effort to combat it. We will work hard to develop best practices and provide guidance for business in Iowa and around the U.S. in how to protect their company against ID theft scams."

In February 2016, after hearing member reports about a renewed wave of identity theft crimes against business, the NASS Business Services Committee recommended reconvening the Business Identity Theft Task Force.

Public outreach and education will be a central focus for the group, which includes the following members:

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Co-Chair
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall, Co-Chair
Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams
Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill
Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner
Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp
Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes
Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler
Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon
Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske
Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins
Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortés

In addition to Secretaries of State, the task force will solicit expert input on cyber security, data protection and other issues from a group of Corporate Affiliate Advisors, including: CT Corporation, Corporation Service Company, Dun & Bradstreet, NIC, Northwest Registered Agent and Tecuity Inc.

A 2012 white paper, "Developing State Solutions to Business Identity Theft," is available on the task force webpage.

Founded in 1904, NASS is the oldest, nonpartisan professional organization of public officials in the U.S. Membership is open to the all U.S. states and territories. NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Presidential Preference Primary tomorrow

PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY TOMORROW

BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Tom Schedler reminds registered voters statewide that the Presidential Preference Primary Election will be held this Saturday, March 5th. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

The PPP allows electors of each political party in the state (with 40,000 or more registered members) to express their preference for a person to be the nominee for president of the United States. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party will also have their state central committee and parish executive committee elections. In Louisiana, the PPP and the state and local party elections are the only closed elections held statewide meaning voters can only cast ballots for a candidate affiliated with the party in which the voter is registered. In other words, only Democrats can vote for Democrats, and Republicans can vote for Republicans.

However, in 24 parishes statewide, ALL VOTERS, no matter party, will be casting ballots in local elections as well. Those parishes include: Acadia, Beauregard, Caddo, Caldwell, Catahoula, Concordia, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberville, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Red River, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and West Baton Rouge.

Below are several reminders to assist citizens on Election Day:

Download the GeauxVote Mobile smartphone app to find polling locations, review sample ballots and monitor election results in real-time.
Sample ballots are also available at www.sos.la.gov.
Bring a photo ID to the polls (Louisiana Driver’s License, Louisiana Special ID card or another generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature such as a passport).
Voters without an ID will be required to fill out an affidavit, but will be allowed to vote. Voters in line at 8 p.m. WILL BE ALLOWED TO VOTE.
Real-time election results will be posted to the secretary of state’s website in several formats.
Both political parties the use the results to allocate delegates, based on the party’s rules.

- www.sos.la.gov -

Media Advisory: Secretary of state to test election results

MEDIA ADVISORY: SECRETARY OF STATE TO TEST ELECTION RESULTS

     Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s office will test its electronic election results system for the Presidential Preference Primary on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2nd at 2 p.m. CST. During the test period, mock results will be displayed on the secretary of state website. THESE ELECTION RESULTS ARE ONLY FOR TESTING PURPOSES AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY ACTUAL RESULTS.

     Media outlets are STRONGLY urged to test their election night graphics, websites and broadcast systems so that any technical issues can be identified and remedied with assistance from the Secretary of State’s IT staff prior to Election Night. If any issues are encountered, please notify the Communications Office immediately at 225.362.5086.

     Additionally, if your media outlet plans to be at the Secretary of State’s Office on election night and wants to reserve a seat at ERIN, please RSVP with our office as soon as possible.

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