Caddo Parish Commissioner Steffon Jones is currently listed as an inactive voter in Louisiana, a status that has raised questions about his eligibility and participation in upcoming elections. The discovery was made by KEEL News, which found Jones listed as inactive on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s official website.
What Does Being on the Inactive Voter List Mean?
According to Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry, voters are placed on the inactive list if they have not participated in an election for 10 years or more. Over the past two years, Louisiana has moved more than 500,000 voters to the inactive list.
It’s important to note that being on the inactive list does not mean a person cannot vote; they can still cast a ballot, but they will need to provide proof of their address when doing so.
Landry also explained that voters can be placed on the inactive list for other reasons, such as failure to verify their address. Louisiana regularly sends address verification cards to registered voters, and if a card is returned undelivered, the voter can be marked as inactive.
Jones’ Voting Record and Missed Elections
KEEL News requested Jones’ voting record and discovered that he has missed three elections out of the past 10. The most notable of these was the April 2024 election, which included a significant bond package for the City of Shreveport.
The Inactive Voter Notification
Jones received a message on the Louisiana voter portal stating, “Your voter registration status is ‘inactive’ because your registration address was not able to be verified by your parish registrar of voters during the annual canvass, or because correspondence sent to the address on file has been returned as undeliverable.”
The message also warns that if Jones does not confirm his address or vote by December 9, 2028, his name may be removed from the voter registration list altogether.
Moving Forward
KEEL News is currently awaiting further comments from Steffon Jones regarding his inactive voter status. The situation raises important questions about voter participation and the verification process in Louisiana, particularly for public officials and their voting records.
