Louisiana wants to help its displaced voters vote (sending out nearly 1 million mailers)

Winston-Salem Journal ^ | 2/05/06

[Libloather]

Louisiana wants to help its displaced voters vote
Official: They fled to every state but Alaska
Sunday, February 5, 2006

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin talks about the federal response to his city's disaster as he addresses fellow mayors, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006 in Washington. Mayors from across the country gathered for the 74th Winter meeting of the The United States Conference of Mayors. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

WASHINGTON - Louisiana officials are preparing to send out nearly 1 million mailers as part of a campaign to tell voters who fled the wrath of Hurricane Katrina how to cast ballots from afar.

"It's unfair to think that displaced people would be election experts," Secretary of State Al Ater of Louisiana said yesterday during a conference of secretaries of state.

Ater said he wants every voter who had to leave Louisiana to have "the opportunity to participate, if they want, and that the bar is no higher for them to participate than it is if somebody's home didn't get destroyed."

In contrast, Mississippi faces fewer challenges because many of those who were displaced along the coast moved inland but are still in the state, its secretary of state, Eric Clark, told the conference.

Nancy Worley, Alabama's top election official, said that her state is more prepared for disasters because it was hit by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

"As a result of that experience, we had learned a great deal about preparation," Worley said.

Still, Worley added, her office is only now getting reports from some of the polling places damaged by Katrina.

Louisiana officials estimated that 400,000 registered voters were displaced by Katrina. Displaced voters have moved to every state except Alaska, Ater said. No estimates of displaced voters were immediately available for Mississippi and Alabama.

Before Katrina intervened, voters in New Orleans had been scheduled to pick a mayor and other city officials yesterday. Elections are now planned for April 22, with a runoff, if necessary, on May 20.

[Libloather]

Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco shows off one of the disaster evacuation guides the state government prepared and distributed statewide, as an aid to assist the state's residents escape hurricanes while speaking to writers and editors from The Associated Press during an interview at the Capitol in Baton Rouge, La., Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006. Blanco spoke about the rebuilding efforts and future for the people of Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina, during the interview. (AP Photo/Rogelio Solis)

[CondorFlight]

I challenge the legality of that. If they are not residents of LA and of New Orleans, but have resettled elsewhere, why are they still entitled to vote there? (Can they be 'residents' of two places at the same time?)

This is just to enable the Dems to continue their corrupt rule of LA and keep the money rolling in.

[LA Woman3]

Let the voter fraud begin....

[eleni121]

What is it about Louisiana that just screams DUMB!!!

[Robert A Cook PE]

Been waiting for this.

Now, wait until the demo's start complaining that "They can't FIND all of the (black/poor/uneducated/illiterate/democrat) voters to mail absentee ballots to....."

So they (the democrats) will have to use (black/democrat/labor union/thugs/criminals) "outside workers" and "volunteers" to scour neighborhoods to "find" absentee LA and NOLO voters.

Now, remember that FEMA (rest of us taxpayers!) ARE PAYING FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE HOTEL ROOMS (and temporary apartments) that these (democrat voters) are staying in. Those staying with families, more self-reliant, have access to TV/the mail/insurance collections/insurance checks, dislocation money/FEMA relief checks, etc.

Sure.

Right.

I just "know" that the LA and NOLO governments "can;t find" these people (to register and vote) but that these same people can find the government address to GET CHECKS mailed to them regularly.

[sinclair]

"What is it about Louisiana that just screams DUMB!!!"

DEMOCRAT!!!

[JennysCool]

Here comes the "while they did not technically vote, we must divine the voter's intent" crowd.

[robertpaulsen]

"Louisiana officials are preparing to send out nearly 1 million mailers as part of a campaign to tell voters who fled the wrath of Hurricane Katrina how to cast ballots from afar."

I'd rather they send out 1 million mailers telling those who fled the wrath of Hurricane Katrina how to file their income taxes from afar.

[sweetliberty]

"Can they be 'residents' of two places at the same time?"

Only if they're democrats.

[RicocheT]

The NO and LA Dems are just setting the scene for a massive vote fraud. They sent out the mailer to justify the tens of thousands of absentee ballots marked straight Dem that they plan to stuff the ballot boxes with.

They could give a hoot if real people from NO and LA actually vote again.

[Unicorn]

Is nagin going to bring his family back from TX. to vote????????????

[deport]

Louisiana officials are preparing to send out nearly 1 million mailers ....

Louisiana officials estimated that 400,000 registered voters were displaced by Katrina

---

Now why is 1 million mailers needed to inform 400,000 or so registered voters?.... Seems like 1 million must cover every adult and minor that may have fled....

I'm curious how they are going to handle the state requirement that to vote absentee you must have voted at least once in person prior to being able to vote absentee. They are now talking about changing the law or risking the Feds over seeing the election process.

[sweetliberty]

They will vote absentee.

Hurricane Katrina dislodged and exposed the toxic human sludge in New Orleans as well as the sludge that was left by the receding waters. Trying to return New Orleans to its former "glory" makes about as much sense as building an exclusive beach resort on a toxic waste dump.

[RouxStir]

"Louisiana officials are preparing to send out nearly 1 million mailers as part of a campaign to tell voters who fled the wrath of Hurricane Katrina how to cast ballots from afar............Louisiana officials estimated that 400,000 registered voters were displaced by Katrina."

Wanna bet that 600,000 corpses vote in the next election?

[H. Paul Pressler IV]

Lakeview, the only Republican neighborhood in New Orleans was wiped out by Katrina and its residents are scattered around the country and intend to return. Int is crucial that these people be permitted to vote in order to help determine the future of New Orleans.

[Ed_in_NJ]

NO and LA are pretending that these people are still 'in place' - not only have they gone, but they AIN'T COMIN' BACK!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Alaska Wins!

[doodad]

They aren't "displaced", they're GONE.

[Kirkwood]

I support this. Make sure everybody understands how to vote these democrat jackasses out of office.

[jmaroneps37]

Cheating rat is as cheating rat does.
Louisiana GOP: DON'T FOLD!!!!! DON'T LET THEM PULL THIS CRAP.
It's not like these people left for a month to let the water drain, then move back to their same addresses. These people are probably registered in their new addresses and have probably voted rat where they live already. Don't tell me the local rat didn't sign them up as they got off the buses. They voted last November in Houston. You'd better believe it! Don't let them double vote!