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LEGISLATURE & POLITICS

Elections rescheduled

  • Advocate Capitol News Bureau
  • Published: Sep 5, 2008 - Page: 14A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.
Saturday’s party primaries in four congressional elections are being moved to Oct. 4 because of problems related to Hurricane Gustav’s march through Louisiana, Secretary of State Jay Dardenne said Thursday.

The decision affects elections in the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th congressional districts.

If the party balloting results in runoff elections, those would be held Nov. 4 — the date of the presidential election, Dardenne said.

General elections when the Democrat, Republican and other contenders would square off would move to Dec. 6, he said.

Dardenne said the 2nd Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, and the 4th Congressional District, where the seat is open because of the retirement of U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery, R-Shreveport, are the only congressional elections that could be settled on Dec. 6, Dardenne said.

Other congressional elections, including those in the Baton Rouge-based 6th District and the Lafayette-Lake Charles 7th District would go on as scheduled Nov. 4, as well as the U.S. Senate race in which incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu is seeking re-election.

Dardenne said there are too many problems, including the uncertainty of power restoration in many areas, to hold the election any sooner than Oct. 4.

He said his office is also suffering from no electricity with its Web site and server down. There also is damage to some of the voting precinct locations.

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