The Disenfranchisement of the New Orleans Voter

[Anita Garcia]

Citizens of New Orleans will be disenfranchised by the current voting policy for the New Orleans April 22, 2006 election.

Voting in person is required for all residents (current or displaced) who registered to vote by mail after September 25, 2005. These current and displaced voters may only vote early at the New Orleans Registrar of Voter’s office. These current and displaced voters may only vote in person on Election Day, April 22, 2005 at their residential polling place. If their residential polling place is one of the 300 out of 442 destroyed, they must vote at a new polling place.

New Orleans residents have lost 300 of the 442 polling places. No effort has been made to publicize the new polling places that current and displaced residents must use on Election Day. To determine whether a polling place was destroyed, current and displaced residents must call the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Division (1-800-883-2805) or navigate the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Division’s webpage to the “Precinct Locator” to determine their new polling place.

Displaced residents who choose to vote by absentee must fill out a “Displaced Voter Affidavit” to vote by absentee ballot. Louisiana RS 18:200 defines affidavit as “an oath or affirmation signed by the affiant before a notary public, or before a deputy registrar of voters or two residents of the parish who sign as witnesses to the registrant’s signature.” No effort has been made to publicize that the “Displaced Voter Affidavit” does not have to be witnessed by a notary public or residents of Orleans Parish.

Early voting at satellite polling places is only allowed for current and displaced residents who registered to vote on or before September 25, 2005. No effort has been made to provide for early voting at satellites outside of Louisiana. No effort has been made to provide satellite voting for displaced residents on the day of the election, April 22, 2006.

[Tanuki]

1. The government

made more effort to encourage voting in the Iraq election among U.S.- dwelling persons of Iraqi descent, even those who had never lived in Iraq. This is one more crime against the citizens of the Gulf Coast.

[Anita Garcia]

2. NAACP agrees with you!

NAACP President and CEO Gordon's press release today.
"Gordon said out-of-state satellite voting locations would allow New Orleans voters to participate in a democratic election in the same way satellite voting locations in the United States were made available for Iraqi voters to vote in the recent Iraq national elections. 'Certainly we can do no less for Americans temporarily displaced by Hurricane Katrina,' said Gordon." <http://www.naacp.org/news/2006/2006-03-16.html>
March 16, 2006

Also in that press release:
NAACP President & CEO Bruce S. Gordon said Attorney General Alberto Gonzales called today to inform him that the U.S. Department of Justice has decided to pre-clear the New Orleans election plan for the April 22 municipal election. "The NAACP is deeply disappointed with that decision and we are utilizing the best legal minds available to evaluate the Justice Department’s decision," said Gordon.

"Under any circumstances, the NAACP believes that by this action, the department has not properly enforced Sections 5 and 2 of the Voting Rights Act," Gordon said. "This is not the final step and let’s be clear that the NAACP does not accept this as the final step in our efforts to protect the rights of New Orleans voters."

In a letter to Gordon, Gonzales said, "Let me assure you that the Department’s work in New Orleans is not done." He said, "The Department will continue to work diligently to serve New Orleans voters and to ensure that all eligible voters – including minority voters – are able to participate fully in the upcoming elections."

Meanwhile, Gordon said the NAACP will continue partnering with other groups that plan to transport New Orleans voters who have temporarily relocated outside of Louisiana back to the city to vote. In addition, the NAACP has opened 15 NAACP Voter Assistance Centers in nine states to aid New Orleans voters to register to vote and file absentee ballot applications. Gordon said that the absentee ballot process is complex. "It relies on getting the absentee ballots into the hands of voters who in turn have to submit applications and get them notarized. Without having accurate mailing addresses, there is no certainty that applications will be received. The deadline to file an absentee ballot application is March 22."