Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is challenging a report saying he’s withholding voter lists from Lafayette City Council candidates until August first.
This morning, Ardoin took to the airwaves on a radio show.
He maintains his office is not trying to overturn Lafayette voters’ decision to split the city-parish council into a separate city council and parish council. Ardoin said he certified the December 8 election and it cannot be overturned.
Ardoin said his decision is not political to appeal a judge’s ruling saying an ordinance can amend the Home Rule Charter. He said he wants the changes to district boundaries voted on by citizens.
This morning, Ardoin said the article addressing voter registration lists dragged his office into the fray of political infighting. Ardoin said he can’t release a list that he doesn’t have yet.
The Secretary went on to say Lafayette citizens need to be informed of the immediate and long term statewide ramifications of fixing the charter by ordinance.
“Accuracy is much more important to our office and to how we do things than anything else,” Ardoin said on KPEL 96.5. “We don’t get the opportunity to get it right a second time. We have to do it right the first time. I’m not going to rush into this and have inaccurate lists out there and then be criticized for that.”
The candidate requesting the voter registration lists said she did not file a formal public records request to get the list.
The Secretary of State’s Office has filed an appeal to a judge’s ruling saying the charter can be fixed by an ordinance.
A court date has not been set.
