{"id":2249420,"date":"2024-05-21T12:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T16:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-landry-wont-say-if-hell-sign-a-bill-shielding-louisianas-elections-from-ranked-choice-voting\/"},"modified":"2024-05-21T12:09:52","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T16:09:52","slug":"gov-landry-wont-say-if-hell-sign-a-bill-shielding-louisianas-elections-from-ranked-choice-voting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-landry-wont-say-if-hell-sign-a-bill-shielding-louisianas-elections-from-ranked-choice-voting\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Landry Silent on Bill Protecting Louisiana Elections from Ranked-Choice Voting"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgov-landry-wont-say-if-hell-sign-a-bill-shielding-louisianas-elections-from-ranked-choice-voting%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2249420&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The GOP-led\u200c Louisiana Senate\u200b passed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-dakota-republicans-are-one-step-closer-to-banning-ranked-choice-voting-in-state-elections\/\" title=\"North Dakota Republicans Are One Step Closer To Banning Ranked-Choice Voting In State Elections\">bill banning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/andrew-yang-has-commanding-lead-in-nyc-mayoral-race-poll-shows\/\" title=\"Andrew Yang Has Commanding Lead In NYC Mayoral Race, Poll Shows\">ranked-choice voting<\/a><\/a>, awaiting Gov. Landry&#8217;s \u2062decision on signing.\u2062 Ranked-choice voting allows voters to \u200cprioritize candidates. The\u2063 bill excludes military and overseas \u2064votes but restricts RCV\u2064 in state elections. Senator Miguez backs the bill for fair elections. If\u2063 approved, Louisiana will be the 10th state to prohibit RCV. The Louisiana Senate, under GOP control, approved a\u2064 bill to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/state-lawmakers-should-follow-the-rncs-lead-and-ban-ranked-choice-voting\/\" title=\"State Lawmakers Should Follow the RNC\u2019s Lead and Ban Ranked-choice Voting\">ban ranked-choice voting<\/a>. Governor Landry&#8217;s signature is pending. Ranked-choice voting enables voters to rank candidates. The bill spares military and overseas votes but limits RCV in state polls. Senator Miguez supports the bill \u2064for equitable elections. Its approval would make Louisiana the\u2062 10th state to bar RCV.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure>                         <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The GOP-controlled Louisiana Senate passed legislation Monday prohibiting the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections. But Republican Gov. Jeff Landry won\u2019t say if he\u2019ll sign the bill into law. <\/p>\n<p>Under RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter\u2019s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.la.gov\/legis\/BillInfo.aspx?s=24rs&#038;b=SB101&#038;sbi=y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SB 101<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.la.gov\/legis\/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1376446\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">stipulates<\/a> that a \u201cranked-choice voting or instant runoff voting method shall not be used in determining the election or nomination of any candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office in this state.\u201d The bill would not apply to \u201call votes cast by military and overseas voters by special absentee by mail ballots in accordance with the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SB 101 originally passed the Senate in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legis.la.gov\/legis\/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1355955\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">29-9 vote<\/a> in March. An amended version of the bill was passed by the House (73-23) last week and subsequently concurred by the Senate (29-8) on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith the passage of my bill, voters in Louisiana can rest assured that we will not abandon our one American citizen, one vote elections,\u201d bill sponsor and GOP Sen. Blake Miguez <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2024\/may\/21\/louisiana-ready-to-ban-ranked-choice-voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a>. \u201cThis is America! No one should ever be forced to vote for candidates that do not align with their political views just to have their ballots counted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Miguez is a member of the <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/02\/05\/thanks-to-the-state-freedom-caucus-network-gop-legislatures-are-getting-more-conservative\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Louisiana Freedom Caucus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/06\/08\/louisiana-sends-constitutional-amendment-proposal-banning-zuckbucks-in-elections-to-voters-for-approval\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sponsored<\/a> the\u00a0state\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/16\/louisiana-joins-states-banning-zuckbucks-but-will-that-be-enough-to-stop-dems-private-election-takeover\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recently enacted<\/a> constitutional amendment banning \u201cZuckbucks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Having cleared both chambers of the state legislature, SB 101 now heads to Landry\u2019s desk for signature. While outlets such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2024\/may\/21\/louisiana-ready-to-ban-ranked-choice-voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Washington Times<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/lailluminator.com\/2024\/05\/15\/ranked-choice-voting-close-to-being-illegal-in-louisiana\/\">Louisiana Illuminator<\/a> reported that Landry is \u201cexpected\u201d to sign the bill, the governor\u2019s office did not respond to The Federalist\u2019s request for comment on whether he will do so.<\/p>\n<p>If signed by Landry, SB 101 would make Louisiana the <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Ranked-choice_voting_(RCV)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10th state<\/a> to prohibit the use of RCV in its elections.<\/p>\n<p>While regularly dismissed by its supporters, ranked-choice voting has caused numerous problems in the states and municipalities where it\u2019s been implemented. Among the most notable problems produced by RCV is <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/03\/17\/minnesota-could-be-third-state-to-adopt-ranked-choice-voting-following-alaska-and-maine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">inaccurate election outcomes<\/a>. In an Oakland school board race, for instance, \u201celection officials announced \u2014 two months after the fact \u2014 that <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/01\/11\/ranked-choice-voting-keeps-rigging-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">they got the count wrong<\/a>,\u201d resulting in the \u201crightful winner \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktvu.com\/news\/trial-set-for-next-month-to-determine-winner-of-ousd-school-board-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">suing<\/a> for his seat.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The system has also led to high rates of ballots being discarded and electors having their votes disenfranchised. In one Utah town that used an RCV pilot program for its 2021 municipal elections, <a href=\"https:\/\/electiontransparency.org\/2023\/03\/03\/cuccinelli-defeat-utahs-ranked-choice-voting-scheme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">more ballots than not<\/a> were discarded or spoiled. A <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/10\/31\/ranked-choice-voting-is-the-monster-under-the-bed-of-american-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">study<\/a> published last year by the Foundation for Government Accountability discovered that RCV ballots are often thrown out due to \u201cballot exhaustion,\u201d which happens when voters select only one candidate on their ballot, and those ballots are tossed because\u00a0their first choice didn\u2019t win a majority in the first round. In Alaska\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-how-ranked-choice-voting-complicates-elections-and-disenfranchises-voters\/\" title=\"Ranked-choice voting complicates elections and undermines voter participation\">2022 special congressional election<\/a>, for instance, more than 11,000 \u201cexhausted\u201d ballots were discarded because those electors \u201cvoted for only one Republican candidate and no one else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>RCV has also produced election results that contradict the desires of voters. Some of these examples include the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/youngkin-vetoes-disastrous-bill-expanding-ranked-choice-voting-in-virginia\/\" title=\"Youngkin rejects bill to expand ranked-choice voting in Virginia, calling it 'disastrous\">aforementioned special congressional election<\/a> in <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/01\/11\/ranked-choice-voting-keeps-rigging-elections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alaska<\/a> and a 2018 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/maine-congressman-loses-seat-in-controversial-ranked-choice-voting-race\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maine congressional contest<\/a>. The Democrat candidates won both races despite Republican candidates receiving more votes in the first round of voting.<\/p>\n<p>Maine and Alaska are currently the only states that utilize ranked-choice voting for statewide races. Electors in <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Nevada_Question_3,_Top-Five_Ranked-Choice_Voting_Initiative_(2024)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nevada<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-election\/oregon-becomes-latest-state-put-ranked-choice-voting-ballot-rcna91289\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oregon<\/a> will vote on pro-RCV ballot measures during their respective elections this November. Meanwhile, a <a href=\"https:\/\/electiontransparency.org\/2024\/05\/17\/missouri-victory-general-assembly-sends-constitutional-amendment-banning-foreign-citizen-voting-ranked-choice-voting-to-nov-ballot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">constitutional amendment proposal<\/a> prohibiting the use of RCV in Missouri elections will appear on the state\u2019s fall ballot. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Louisiana Senate controlled by the GOP approved a bill on Monday to ban ranked-choice voting (RCV) in elections. Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, has not disclosed his stance on signing the bill into law. RCV allows voters to rank candidates by preference. If none secures over 50% of first-choice votes in the initial round, a redistribution process occurs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2249421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/unnamed-9.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2249420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/unnamed-9.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2249420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2249421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2249420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2249420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2249420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}