NAACP LDF and advocates highlight turnout gap and urge sustained, funded strategies

Victoria Wenger, counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, told the task force on Feb. 27 that Louisiana's turnout problems are complex and rooted across mobilization, registration, early voting and representation. She cited Secretary of State data showing turnout among Black voters was more than 12 percentage points lower than turnout among white Louisianians in recent statewide elections.

Wenger recommended a sustained, multi-pronged approach: study consolidation of election dates to reduce calendar congestion, increase funding for the secretary of state's office and nonpartisan civic organizations, pilot data-driven early-voting sites, and strengthen ADA compliance and signage at polling sites. "There are many points of interjection both in how we can work in a non-policy space collaborate etcetera but then also tangible policies to address each one of these barriers," she said.

Members and presenters discussed practical obstacles: inconsistent DMV registration implementation, the difficulty of cleaning inactive-voter lists after Louisiana's departure from ERIC, and physical accessibility problems at some sites (parking, ramps and signage). Wenger suggested using opt-in tools such as the Go Vote app more widely and exploring automated reminders while noting that technological solutions must account for different levels of tech access and literacy.

Wenger asked lawmakers and the public to treat the task force's work as part of an "enduring commitment" rather than a single series of meetings, recommending follow-up research, sustained budgets, and community partnerships to translate findings into effective policy.