Louisiana Lawmakers Advance Bill to Share Voter Data with Homeland Security

Proposal aims to verify citizenship of registered voters, but critics raise privacy concerns.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:51am

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Louisiana lawmakers have advanced a bill that would require the state's election officials to submit personal information on all registered voters to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Beau Beaullieu, passed the state House 74-29 and now heads to the Senate. Supporters say the data sharing is necessary for election integrity, while opponents argue it infringes on voter privacy and could lead to unintentional voter purges.

Why it matters

This proposal is part of a broader national debate over election security and voter verification. While proponents argue it's needed to prevent non-citizens from voting, critics say it could disproportionately impact legal citizens and that Louisiana's elections have been well-protected without such measures.

The details

Under the bill, the Louisiana Secretary of State's office would be required to submit personal identifying information, including addresses, birthdates and Social Security numbers, for all registered voters to the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security would then check the information against a federal database typically used to verify citizenship for government benefits. If Homeland Security identifies potential non-citizens, the secretary of state would have to launch a criminal investigation and challenge those voters' registrations.

  • The Louisiana House passed the bill on April 2, 2026.
  • The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration.

The players

Beau Beaullieu

A Republican state representative from New Iberia who sponsored the bill.

Nancy Landry

The Republican Louisiana Secretary of State who voluntarily submitted voter data to Homeland Security last year, finding nearly 400 non-citizen registered voters.

Edmond Jordan

A Democratic state representative from Baton Rouge who criticized the bill, arguing the state shouldn't share voter Social Security numbers without consent.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The federal agency that would receive and review the voter data under the proposed legislation.

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What they’re saying

“I don't see sharing Social Security numbers with the federal government, who issued you the Social Security number to begin with, is any issue. And if anything, it's to protect our election system which is extremely important to the foundation of our democracy.”

— Beau Beaullieu, State Representative

“Does the cost justify the benefit, or do the ends justify the means? I find it ironic that we would protect one right and then on the other hand violate another.”

— Edmond Jordan, State Representative

What’s next

The bill now heads to the Louisiana State Senate for consideration after passing the House.

The takeaway

This proposal highlights the ongoing tensions between election security and voter privacy, with supporters arguing it's necessary to protect the integrity of elections and critics contending it could lead to the disenfranchisement of legal voters.