Steve Rankin (who publishes on Y'all Politics) comments:
Louisiana is the only state that has nonpartisan elections for all of its state officials: all candidates run in the same election. The state, which alone has also used that system for its congressional elections, is restoring party primaries for those elections, starting in 2008.
Louisiana's Republicans are allowing only Republicans to vote in GOP congressional primaries. Louisiana Democrats have not yet said whether they will invite independents to vote in Democratic congressional primaries. "... the Legislature allowed the political parties to determine whether they would allow independent voters to participate in the closed party primary." The legislature had no choice, since, in 1986, the U. S. Supreme Court gave parties the right to invite independents to vote in their primaries.
Mississippi Republicans say that they will keep ALL GOP primaries open to ALL voters-- regardless of the outcome of the Democrats' lawsuit. The Democrats, in contrast, have indicated that they will invite independents but block Republicans from voting in Democratic primaries.
Louisiana has had party registration since 1916.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT:
Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Tory Pegram, 504.338.2631
PROTECT YOUR VOTE ON ELECTION DAY
Louisiana Voting Rights Network Works to Protect, Educate & Assist Voters
With exactly 2 days to go before Election Day 2007, the LOUISIANA VOTING RIGHTS NETWORK (LVRN) is again launching a Know Your Rights voter protection program for the statewide gubernatorial elections on Saturday, October 20, 2007.
LVRN member organizations will be working from now until Election Day to inform Louisiana voters of their rights and make sure every vote counts. On Election Day, our toll-free number (1-866-OUR-VOTE) will be staffed by trained volunteers to provide voters with free assistance. In addition, volunteers will be on the ground monitoring selected polling places and will be available to address any problems that may arise.
“The Louisiana Voting Rights Network is dedicated to protecting the rights of ever voter. We have been able to help countless voters in distress exercise their civic right during the 5 previous non-partisan poll monitoring and voter education operations LVRN has run since Hurricanes Katrina & Rita. We want every voter across Louisiana to know we’re here to provide whatever assistance is necessary to ensure they’re able to vote, and have that vote counted,” said Tory Pegram, co-founder and moderator of the Louisiana Voting Rights Network.
Voter protection efforts are needed just as much now as they were in the historic elections held after the hurricanes in 2005. Louisiana voters will face a very different election system from the one they knew during the last gubernatorial race due to new voting regulations, changes to polling place locations, difficulties caused by continued displacement, and a recent controversial purge of over 21,000 voters. Unfortunately, with all of these changes comes an increased risk of errors and confusion.
# # #
The LOUISIANA VOTING RIGHTS NETWORK is a partnership of non-partisan, non-profit, local and national civil rights organizations working together to protect your right to vote.
Members include the ACLU Foundation of Louisiana, ACORN, Advancement Project, African American Leadership Project, Common Cause, Greater New Orleans Urban League, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge, League of Women Voters of Louisiana, Louisiana Justice Institute, Louisiana Unity 06’ Coalition, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, NAACP of Louisiana, NAACP, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, National Urban League, People For the American Way Foundation, Rainbow PUSH Right to Return and Reconstruction Project, and VOTE (Voice Of The Ex-offender).
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