February Elections in NOLA Planned Amid Immense Challenges

[Maddy McCall]

204 of 442 N.O. precincts are out of commission

By Frank Donze and Ed Anderson
Staff writers


The 2006 election season in New Orleans should be in full bloom, with billboards sprouting all over town, candidates pressing the flesh and campaign operatives feverishly plotting strategies.

But Hurricane Katrina largely has emptied the city of potential voters, and many public officials wonder whether holding the scheduled Feb. 4 elections for mayor, City Council and a host of parochial positions – from criminal sheriff to all seven assessors – is feasible.

Ultimately, the decision on whether to have elections in New Orleans next year will fall to Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who already has postponed September balloting in Jefferson Parish and October voting in New Orleans and Lake Charles because of disruptions from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

But Secretary of State Al Ater and Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Clerk Kimberly Williamson Butler told lawmakers Monday that that some extraordinary measures may have to be taken but that the elections will be held.

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“We can't even connect families together,'' said City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge Morrell, whose district includes many neighborhoods that were nearly wiped out by Katrina. “So how do we find people to vote?''

More at: http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_10_11.html#086460

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