Amendment 1, on the ballot for Oct. 14, 2023, in Louisiana, would ban private, non-governmental, and foreign funding of elections in the state. While there has been legislation in several states to ban private funding for elections, Louisiana Amendment 1 is the first time that voters will decide the issue.
In 2022, voters in Michigan decided on Proposal 2, which included multiple changes to election and voting policies. Michigan hadn’t banned private funding for elections, although the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) vetoed. Proposal 2, however, added language to the Michigan Constitution that continued to permit private donations for election administration, provided that donations were not from foreign sources and there was a public disclosure process.
Louisiana Amendment 1 was passed during the 2023 legislative session. The following would be added to the Louisiana Constitution: “No funds, goods, or services donated by a foreign government or a nongovernmental source shall be used to conduct elections unless provided for in the election code and subject to restrictions provided by general law.”
