August 31, 2026

Greetings League Members and Friends!

Hot and dry. That was August 2026 in Louisiana. But just hot enough to warm us up for the fall 2026 voter education season—especially those important voter registration and education drives in schools and colleges around the state. We’ve also seen widening discussion around the state of big business deals like the Meta Hyperion data center in Richland Parish and the SpaceX Starbase announced for Vermilion Parish. Whatever the merits or demerits of these projects, one thing is certain: They will have their greatest impact on young people and future generations. So, it’s time to get those generations voting!

Late summer has also been our traditional time for organization and housekeeping. Did you know that LWVLA is actually two separately incorporated nonprofit organizations? LWVLA is our 501(c)(4) social welfare organization in IRS terms. LWVLA is our membership organization, and handles the basic operations of communications, litigation and legislative advocacy, and organizing. We are not lobbyists, and the advocacy that we do is mostly limited to educational advocacy that makes citizens aware of national and state positions that bear on state and local policy choices. Consistent with the League’s overall nonpartisan policy, we do not support or oppose candidates, make political endorsements, or seek to directly influence legislation. But we do seek to make the public aware of League positions that typically result from years of study and monitoring. The LWVLA Education Fund is our 501(c)(3) charitable organization that exists strictly for purposes of nonpartisan voter education and does not engage in advocacy work. You can find out more about LWVLA’s and LWVLA-EF’s work at Candid.org, where both organizations have recently achieved Silver Transparency status.

The main difference between LWVLA and LWVLA-EF has to do with grants and donations. We recently sent out a stack of thank-you notes to this summer’s individual donors, which is why this is top of mind for us. Many philanthropic organizations in the voting rights space give only to 501(c)(3) organizations. Donations to 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible; whereas donations to 501(c)(4) donations are not. Donors who itemize their charitable deductions (which we are told has been incentivized by recent tax law changes), who need to make distributions from IRAs, or who need a tax deduction for other reasons may prefer to donate to LWVLA-EF. But we are also very grateful for those who can forgo a tax deduction and donate to LWVLA. Those Zoom, Dropbox, and other online service bills aren’t getting cheaper—especially with the Louisiana Legislature’s recent digital service tax! If you can spare a few dollars, you may donate here.

Speaking of online services, end of summer is also a time when we update our LWVLA website. If you haven’t yet seen our Litigation Advocacy page, it is worth a look. We’ve been keeping that page very busy this year! Other newly renovated pages worth visiting, include the Voting Rights Committee page to catch up on the legislative advocacy we have been pursuing the last several years, the Press Coverage and Letters to the Editor pages to see our recent media mentions, and our ever-evolving home page, which currently features at the top a spread of the three most important apps for every Louisiana voter to have at the ready on their phones. We also have new picture galleries of our spring closed party primary and voter education events, featuring some faces you will recognize.  We’ll be updating the Voter Services Page soon with information on the November and December elections.

As we continue to beat the heat, the “Unite & Rise 8.5” campaign to register, educate, and activate 8.5 million voters continues—and Louisiana is seeking to reach 160,000 Louisiana voters before the 2026 midterm elections. As always, if you’re not with us yet as a League member, join us, tell your friends, or donate to fund our work.

In League,

Your LWVLA State Board

 

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