Louisiana Voice

Donald Trump wants poll watchers.

On Sept. 29, during that frenzied first debate with Joe Biden, he told the PROUD BOYS to “stand back and stand by,” interpreted by the organization as a go-ahead to stake out the polls on election day to ensure “voting integrity.”

Just yesterday, it was revealed that his campaign was working with a POLICE UNION in Minnesota to recruit retired cops as “poll challengers” to patrol voting precincts in “rough neighborhoods.”

He’s already gone through the courts in efforts to forbid counting mail-in votes that arrive past the deadline for voting – no matter is they’re postmarked on time – and he hinted that he just may NOT ACCEPT the results because of what he – and apparently only he and Bill Barr – perceive as widespread voter fraud.

And a new report has indicated that five states, including several that are considered battleground states, are at HIGH RISK for activity by armed groups of civilians on election day.

Even concerns about post-election riots have Washington, D.C., businesses BOARDING UP windows and doors in anticipation of possible rioting over election results.

All of which bodes high anxiety, distrust and cries of fraud and voter suppression in the final four days leading up to Tuesday’s election, considered one of if not the most important in the nation’s history.

Voter suppression already has reared its ugly head in other states, namely Georgia, Florida, and Texas, but what about Louisiana? What is the likelihood that roving vigilantes, armed with assault weapons, will be staking out polling places here?

Thankfully, slim.

LouisianaVoice recently interviewed an election commission who will be working Tuesday’s election. For obvious reasons, we’re keeping that person’s identity – even his/her gender and location – confidential. We’re even giving our source the gender-neutral name of Pat.

Pat, along with other commissioners, recently attended a special class for commissioners that was attended by a considerably larger number of persons than previous classes. “There are normally 30 attendees but for our class there were more than 100. We reviewed procedures, opened and closed the voting machines to learn how they work. Special emphasis was placed on election monitors.”

The commissioner in charge will have the final say on any issues and if any problems should occur, the parish clerk of court will be called. Two important issues were raised in the class: electioneering and voting deadlines.

“Voting begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. but everyone who is in line at the time of cutoff, gets to vote, no matter how long the line may be. They wanted to make certain we knew that.”

There are restrictions on electioneering, however. Those restrictions have been copied and pasted below. I have taken the liberty of boldfacing certain passages for special emphasis:

The Legislature of Louisiana recognizes that the right to vote is a right that is essential to the effective operation of a democratic government. Due to a past, longstanding history of election problems, such as multiple voting, votes being recorded for persons who did not vote, votes being recorded for deceased persons, voting by non-residents, vote buying, and voter intimidation, the legislature finds that the state has a compelling interest in securing a person’s right to vote in an environment which is free from intimidation, harassment, confusion, obstruction, and undue influence. The legislature, therefore, enacts this Subsection to provide for a six-hundred-foot campaign-free zone around polling places to provide to each voter such an environment in which to exercise his right to vote. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, it shall be unlawful for any person, between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., to perform or cause to be performed any of the following acts within any polling place being used in an election on election day or within any place wherein early voting is being conducted, or within a radius of six hundred feet of the entrance to any polling place being used in an election on election day or any place wherein early voting is being conducted:

(1) To solicit in any manner or by any means whatsoever any other person to vote for or against any candidate or proposition being voted on in such election.

(2) To remain within any such polling place or place wherein early voting is being conducted or within a radius of six hundred feet of the entrance of any such polling place, except when exercising the right to vote, after having been directed by an election commissioner or law enforcement officer to leave the premises or area of a polling place or after having been directed by a registrar or deputy registrar to leave the place wherein early voting is being conducted.

(3) To hand out, place, or display campaign cards, pictures, or other campaign literature of any kind or description whatsoever.

(4) To place or display political signs, pictures, or other forms of political advertising.

(5) To circulate a recall petition or seek handwritten signatures to a recall petition.

B. The provisions hereof shall not apply to the placing and displaying, either by the owner, lessee, or lawful occupant thereof, or with the consent of such owner, lessee or occupant, of political signs or pictures on private property which is not being used as a polling place.

C. The provisions of this Section shall not be construed as prohibiting any appointed election commissioner or any official watcher from remaining in and about the polling place in which he was selected to serve.

D. No election official shall wear any badge, button, pin, or other insignia identifying him with any political candidate or faction.

E. No election official shall in any manner attempt to influence any voter to vote for or against any candidate or proposition being voted on in the election being held in that polling place.

F. The duly constituted law enforcement officers of the political subdivision in which any such election is being held shall enforce the provisions of this Section when requested to do so by a registrar, deputy registrar, commissioner-in-charge or commissioner. The registrar, deputy registrars, commissioners-in-charge and commissioners likewise shall enforce the provisions of this Section at the polling places. The law enforcement officers, commissioners-in-charge, commissioners, deputy registrars and registrar are authorized to seize, remove, and destroy any political cards, signs, pictures, or literature being used or displayed in violation of any of the provisions hereof.

G. Whoever violates any provision of this Section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or be imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. On a second offense or any succeeding offense, the penalty shall be a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.