MARCH 16, 2006

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today urged all Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans who have temporarily relocated to Michigan to immediately contact the Louisiana Secretary of State in order to participate in the upcoming Orleans Parish elections. Elections postponed in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will be held April 22 and May 20.

"The right to vote endures even in the aftermath of natural disasters and no one who has been displaced from New Orleans should feel they cannot participate in elections back home," Land said. "I encourage all evacuees to vote by absentee ballot if they are able to do so."

Registered Louisiana voters who have temporarily relocated to Michigan are still eligible to vote in their home parishes if they have not registered to vote in Michigan or another state. Those voters have three opportunities to vote: by mail using an absentee ballot, in person at the Registrar of Voters’ Office six to 12 days before an election or in person at the polling place on Election Day.

Hurricane Katrina evacuees who would like more information on how to check their current registration status, register to vote or cast a ballot should contact Louisiana Secretary of State Al Ater’s office at 1-800-883-2805 or via email at elections@sos.louisiana.gov 

Louisiana voters may download an application to vote absentee by visiting http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/elections/MISC/request_absentee_ballot.pdf

Louisiana voters may also find more information about voting in Louisiana at http://www.sec.state.la.us/elections/elect-before.htm