Evacuees may get special precincts

The Times-Picayune ^ | 10/4/05 | Ed Anderson

[Klatuu]

Temporary polls are possible out of state

Storms took $2.5 million toll on voting equipment

By Ed Anderson Capital bureau

BATON ROUGE &150; Louisiana voters could vote in special out-of-state voting precincts under a plan suggested by Secretary of State Al Ater. Ater said he probably will ask a special session of the Legislature to give him the authority to open such out-of-state precincts if large clusters of Louisiana voters are living in those areas and still want to vote in Louisiana elections.

excerpt

[Klatuu]

"We have the technology to assure voting (at distant locations) without a hint of fraud," Ater said. "We want to make sure that is not one person in America who is a citizen of New Orleans who will not be able to vote."

Let the fun & games begin!

[BulletBobCo]

I thought it didn't matter where the long time deceased voted.

[ClearCase_guy]

If there's any state that can pull this off without fraud, it's Louisiana! [/sarcasm]

[linkinpunk]

Sounds like a prescription for double voting to me.

[Old_Mil]

Good grief.

[Pessimist]

"Louisiana voters could vote in special out-of-state voting precincts under a plan suggested by Secretary of State Al Ater"

You knew this was coming. A permanent diaspora. Just like the Paestinian "refugees", and just as useful politically.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"If there's any state that can pull this off without fraud, it's Louisiana!"

---

ROTFL!

[thulldud]

Ater knows he's not the only one out of a job without that good ol' Ninth Ward....

[Mike Darancette]

Louisiana voters could vote in special out-of-state voting precincts under a plan suggested by Secretary of State Al Ater.

They can vote with the Mexicans.

[bigeasy_70118]

"We are developing a plan to try to reach and find everyone," he said. "Through no fault of their own, they are now living in Los Angeles or Minnesota, but that should not preclude them from participating in elections in Louisiana. . .

Ummm, I hate to tell you this Mr. Secretary but yes it does. If these people are displaced from Orleans Parish and have no intention of returning, then they cannot vote in the city wide elections this February regardless of whether they "want" to vote in the election.

Call this the Incumbent Protection Procedure.

[KarlInOhio]

"We have the technology to assure voting (at distant locations) without a hint of fraud," Ater said.

Is that like pouring enough purfume on a pig that you will be able to breath without a whiff of pig? The voting technology will be able to erase every hint of fraud.

[reformedliberal]

Where are they going to get the tax revenue to pay these incumbents? Property taxes will be way down. Sales taxes will be way down. DMV and other fees will be way down.

Will these *displaced voters* also be told they are *displaced taxpayers*? That seems like it would become a disincentive to claim citizenship/voting rights.

Then there is the question of density. Will they put up a special precinct for 50 people? What will be the population threshold?

When is the next municipal election?

[PAR35]

Sounds like a prescription for double voting to me.

Once in Houston, once in Dallas?

[George Smiley]

I see no plans for zombie-only special precincts.

BTW, you misspelled klaatu.

[fuquadukie]

Watch how quick the school buses will be used to get the voters to the polls.

[willyd]

Watch for the stories that will talk about poor Ms So and So that couldn't get to her closest out of state polling booth because it was miles away in another town.

[Owen]

Have the local GOP organize a registration effort, even registering them Democrat. They have been absorbed into overwhelmingly GOP areas and erased their effect.

Anyway, the local GOP groups need to get the registered locally. Then send the registration data to the Louisiana GOP with names and addresses. Start purging the rolls.

[WasDougsLamb]

It is the only way they can get the corrupt officials back in office. Nagin and Blanco sure know what they are doing.
If this is going to happen knowing the dishonesty and corruption of this place, then I will be even more disgusted with the system that allows for this.

[Malone LaVeigh]

Will these *displaced voters* also be told they are *displaced taxpayers*?

I suspect that many of these displaced voters weren't in the upper levels of the tax base. Can you be displaced from something you weren't really doing to begin with?

[reformedliberal]

I was told that even the poor homes in the 9th ward were owned by the occupants, so they were paying some sort of property tax. Sales taxes are paid by anyone who purchases anything. Even if they were on welfare, that money was paying for their water/garbage pickup, etc. Not to mention that w/o a source of revenue, there is no money for welfare. And, there were many working class and middle class people in other parishes, from interviews I have seen on TV. There were small businesses, which paid property and business taxes. As for the State of Louisiana, there are many areas outside of NO that have lost population, as well.

NO had a revenue stream. That is what pays for city government, normally. If the Federal funds for infrastructure are subject to oversight, I do not see any way these city/parish positions can afford to hold elections, especially in displaced precincts, let alone pay the winners' salaries. Actually, I don't even quite understand why anyone wants to pretend that elections even need to be held, since there appears to be few citizens and very little to administer.

I suppose they can form some sort of City Government in Exile to preserve appearances and electoral votes. But it does appear to be a futile endeavor.