IRONY IS DEAD

Louisiana Lawmakers Vote by Mail to Roll Back Access to Voting by Mail

GOP lawmakers argued that mail-in voting carries a high risk of voter fraud, a claim used by Trump that election officials have said is extremely rare.

Not without some irony, Republican lawmakers voted by mail on Thursday to roll back a plan that expanded the access to mail-in ballots in Louisiana. Lawmakers asserted that mail-in votes carry a higher risk of voter fraud, a claim frequently used by Trump that election officials have said is extremely rare, The Advocate reports. The altered plan, introduced by Republican Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, who called it a “pragmatic and temporary response,” was approved by the Louisiana House on a 62-39 vote and the Senate by a 31-8 vote and only applies to elections in July and August. The revisions allow access to mail-in ballots for individuals who are 60 years or older, those at high risk of serious complications, as well as people who are under a “medically necessary quarantine or isolation order” or caring for someone in self-isolation. Some Republican lawmakers were reportedly not satisfied with the revisions, arguing that the plan should cut mail-in voting even more.