Louisiana has approved two new election laws that will tighten voter identification requirements and require state election officials to verify all registered voters through a federal immigration database.

The measures, signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry, are presented by state leaders as efforts to strengthen election security and public confidence in the voting system.The first law eliminates the use of provisional ballots for voters who arrive at polling places without a photo ID.

Previously, these voters could sign an affidavit confirming their identity and still cast a ballot that would later be verified by election officials.

Under the new rules, voters without acceptable identification must visit their parish registrar's office on Election Day and provide documentation such as a Louisiana or military photo ID, or a combination of official documents including a birth certificate and financial records.They must then return within two days to complete identity verification.

The second law requires the Louisiana Secretary of State's office to submit personal information from all registered voters, including addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers, to the U.S.Department of Homeland Security.

The information will be checked against the SAVE database, a federal system commonly used to verify the immigration status of noncitizens and naturalized citizens applying for government benefits.

State officials cite previous checks that identified nearly 400 registered voters who were allegedly non-citizens, including 79 who reportedly voted in at least one election since 1980.Supporters argue the measures will improve election integrity.

However, voting rights advocates contend that the changes are unnecessary and could create barriers for elderly, disabled, and low-income residents who are less likely to possess photo identification.Critics also note that the number of alleged non-citizen voters represents only a tiny fraction of Louisiana's approximately 2.9 million registered voters.