Outgoing state elections chief decries conspiracy theories, but still has concerns
Louisiana’s Voting System Commission, though well intentioned, provided a venue for misinformation about the state’s elections, outgoing Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says.
While Ardoin has faced criticism for giving an unfettered platform to election conspiracy theorists such as My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, he told the Baton Rouge Press Club today that “inaccurate” information about himself and the elections process caused stress that threatened his health and contributed to his decision not to run for reelection.
“Do not judge the election process by whether or not your candidate won,” he says.
Still, Ardoin says eligible voters casting their ballots in the wrong district could be a legitimate issue for the next secretary of state, in part because of population shifts caused by floods and hurricanes. He says officials should do more to ensure people change their voter registration when they change their address, adding that his successor should get a list of all homestead exemptions from parish assessors, since residents are required to vote where they take the exemption.
Ardoin says he is also concerned about the potential for Russian interference in future elections. And he is worried about a shortage of election workers, noting the advanced age of many of the people who pitch in on election day.
Ardoin has twice tried to purchase new voting systems for the state to replace its outdated machines. His last attempt in 2021 was stalled in part by a pressure campaign to eliminate the current vendor, Dominion Voting Systems, from the competition.
The Louisiana Legislature has since passed a law that requires the state to use electronic voting machines that produce a paper trail.
This article has been archived for your research. The original version from Baton Rouge Business Report can be found here.
