(The Center Square) — Louisiana voters will decide Nov. 3 whether governors should be permanently barred from returning to office after serving more than one and a half terms.
The proposal, appearing as Amendment 4 on the statewide ballot, would establish a lifetime limit on how long an individual can serve as Louisiana's governor.
Currently, Louisiana governors cannot serve more than two consecutive four-year terms. However, they can seek the office again after sitting out a term.
The proposed amendment would eliminate that opportunity, effectively establishing a lifetime limit of two full terms.
The change could have significant consequences for Louisiana politics, where former governors have historically remained influential and sometimes returned to office after years away.
Former Gov. Edwin Edwards, for example, served four terms across three separate periods between 1972 and 1996, a political comeback that would not be possible under the proposed restriction.
A vote in favor would establish the lifetime restriction, while a vote against would maintain the current consecutive-term limit.
The proposal is one of 10 constitutional amendments appearing on Louisiana's November ballot. It requires approval from a majority of voters to take effect.
