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On October 11, residents of New Orleans voted in favor of a Fair Chance Amendment to prohibit discrimination of people with criminal records.

About The Fair Chance Amendment

One of the ballots that residents of New Orleans were asked to vote on in October 2025 was titled: Prohibit Discrimination Based on Conviction History Charter Amendment. It asked one simple question: Shall the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans be amended to provide that no law shall arbitrarily and unreasonably discriminate against a person based on conviction history?

Nearly 75% of voters responded with Yes and the measure passed.

Support For The Ballot

Prior to the elections, there was a swell of support for this measure. A group known as VOTE dedicated a page on their website to encourage visitors to vote Yes. The site explained that this measure would help ensure people who have criminal records are treated fairly when applying for work. It said that a Yes vote would mean:

• No one will be denied employment or an interview simply because they have any type of conviction.
• Conviction History will be included on the list of protected traits, similar to age and gender.
• Applicants will be considered based on their qualifications and skills.

The City Council voted in favor of the ballot unanimously. To help encourage readers even more, the VOTE website provided statistics related to criminal records, including:

• Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have some type of criminal record.
• Around 1.5 residents of Louisiana have convictions.
• The rate of unemployment for individuals who have records is around 5 times higher than for those who do not.
• There is a large wage gaps between people who do and do not have convictions.

What This Means For Employers

The passing of this ballot means that employers in New Orleans are being asked to fairly consider qualified applicants who have criminal records. Hiring managers may opt to take adverse actions against candidates who have violent records or convictions that are related to the position being sought.

This could also be an indicator that second chance laws might later be introduced in the city. There are various types of these laws, and a few common ones include:

Ban the Box. Employers are prohibited from asking people to check a box on a job application if they have any type of criminal record.

Timing for Screening. In some locations, employers must determine if an applicant is otherwise eligible before running a background check.

Expungements. Many states, cities and counties are creating allowances for residents to expunge lower-level convictions.

Individual Assessments. In some cases, employers are required to review any criminal record found during the hiring process to determine if it is relevant and might warrant denial of employment.

Employment Background Checks

Throughout the county, laws are being passed to help people who have criminal records find employment and re-enter society. In each case, employers are still strongly encouraged to run comprehensive background checks . These reports help hiring managers make informed decisions and maintain safe workplaces.

If your organization is bringing on employees, contactors or volunteers, please contact us. Our team can help you customize screening packages that suit your needs, comply with relevant laws and meet industry standards. We are proud to be an accredited Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) with 25 years of experience. We’re available to assist you Monday through Friday from 5am to 6pm PT.