Reworked Louisiana Elections Plan Crosses Legislative Hurdle

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An emergency plan to increase early and mail-in voting options for Louisiana’s summer elections because of the coronavirus has won approval from key state House and Senate oversight panels.

Republican lawmakers who stalled the first plan submitted by GOP Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin lifted their objections once Ardoin more strictly limited the list of who’s eligible for mail-in ballots. Wednesday's committee votes send the plan to the full House and Senate for consideration by emailed ballot.

If approved as expected, Ardoin will use the plan to manage the July 11 presidential primary and an August 15 municipal election.

(Story written by MELINDA DESLATTE/AP)