BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law on Wednesday that would extend early voting periods for presidential elections in the state.
Edwards signed House Bill 286, authored by Democrat state Rep. Frederick D. Jones, which extends the early voting period by three days. Louisiana law previously allowed for early voting from 14 to seven days prior to a scheduled election.
Edwards said he was proud to sign the bill amid the Republican Party’s efforts to limit access to voting across the country.
“That’s not the case here in Louisiana, where we are now adding more early voting days for one of the most consequential and popular elections people vote in – the presidential election,” Edwards said.
The governor said the new law will give Louisianans more opportunities to cast their votes and make their voices heard.
“I am thankful the Legislature sent me this bill and I will continue to advocate to expand access to voting,” Edwards said.
HB 286 was approved by a 91-7 vote in the House and a 35-0 vote in the Senate.
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