Attorney General Murrill, on behalf of the State of Louisiana, has filed suit against the U.S. Election Assistance Commission after the agency blocked the State’s effort to add Louisiana-specific instructions to the federal voter registration form so election officials can verify that only United States citizens are registering to vote in our elections.

Louisiana law requires United States citizenship to vote. In 2024, the Legislature enacted Act 500, which requires proof of United States citizenship with a voter registration application. Louisiana then asked the EAC to modify the Louisiana-specific instructions on the federal form so the State could collect information needed to verify citizenship efficiently and lawfully. The EAC ultimately rejected that request.

“Only citizens should vote in Louisiana elections. The Election Assistance Commission should not be getting in the way of the State’s sovereign right to protect the integrity of its elections," said Attorney General Liz Murrill.

The lawsuit argues that EAC’s refusal of Louisiana’s request interfered with the State’s constitutional authority to set and enforce voter qualifications and was arbitrary and capricious. Attorney General Liz Murrill said the federal government has no business blocking Louisiana from enforcing its citizenship requirement for voting. The lawsuit asks the court to set aside the EAC’s final decision, declare the agency’s action unlawful, and stop the federal government from preventing Louisiana from obtaining the information it says is necessary to confirm voter eligibility.

Read the complaint here.