Voters to decide fate of ballot collection

Supporters of LR-129 claim their proposal will ensure that mail-in ballots are secure and that the state’s elections are free of potential fraud, but opponents argue the entire effort may cause unnecessary gridlock at the polls and distract from any actual security issue.

The initiative would prohibit the collection of another individual’s ballot, although family members and caregivers could deliver another person’s ballot but would need to sign a registry at the polling place. People not authorized to deliver the ballot to a polling place could be fined $500 for every ballot they turn in.

The...