JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES LOUISIANA FOR VIOLATING VOTING RIGHTS OF THE POOR AND DISABLED

The Justice Department is suing Louisiana for failing to provideadequate voter registration services for people who get food stamps, disability payments and Medicaid. Federal officials sued the Departments of Health and Hospitals and of Children and Family Services in Baton Rouge yesterday. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires public assistance agencies to routinely offer voter registration services to residents who apply for public assistance, disability services and other benefits. Louisiana has a shockingly low number of voter registrations from those agencies compared to the number of people who apply for assistance.