CNN/AP: Jackson, Sharpton lead New Orleans (vote) rally

[DeepModem Mom]

Jackson, Sharpton lead New Orleans rally
Rev. Al Sharpton: What happens here affects the whole U.S.
Saturday, April 1, 2006

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Hundreds of protesters led by the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton rallied Saturday, demanding the right of all displaced New Orleans residents to vote after Hurricane Katrina.

The system set up for the April 22 election for mayor and other city positions makes it difficult for displaced voters to cast a ballot, Jackson and other activists said.

"We want the Voting Rights Act," Jackson said at a news conference before the rally. Black leaders have argued city elections could violate the landmark 1965 law....

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Jackson and other activists are demanding satellite polling places for displaced voters in cities outside New Orleans, and even outside Louisiana. Fewer than half of the city's 460,000 residents have returned since the Aug. 29 storm flooded the city.

Activists also urged the release of updated lists of displaced voter addresses, a request the Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied, saying it would breach privacy....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/01/nola.rally/index.html