Fall elections in Louisiana rescheduled due to Hurricane Ida

BATON ROUGE, La. (KSLA) — Fall elections in Louisiana have been rescheduled due to the serious impacts of Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on the coast Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm.

On Wednesday, Sept. 8, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced that Gov. John Bel Edwards has agreed with his recommendation to delay the fall elections.

“I am thankful that the governor has recognized the importance of our recommendation to move the October 9 election to November 13 and the November 13 election to December 11,” Ardoin said. “This will allow our staff and local partners more time to properly prepare for a statewide election while ensuring the integrity of our election processes and that our voters’ traditional voting habits are as undisturbed as possible.”

Edwards signed an executive order Thursday, Sept. 9 formally delaying the fall elections in Louisiana.

“Secretary Ardoin briefed me this past Tuesday on the upcoming fall elections. Based on his reporting and certification to me yesterday that holding the elections as currently scheduled would impair the integrity of those elections, based on numerous issues related to displaced voters and election day personnel as well as extensive power outages and damage to early voting and election day polling places, I signed an executive order today to reschedule the upcoming fall elections.”

The elections that would have been held Oct. 9 now are set for Nov. 13. And the general elections, which would include any runoffs, will be held Dec. 11. They had been scheduled for Nov. 13.

Moving the elections dates also means changes to early voting. The first period will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 6 except for Sunday, Oct. 31. And the second will be held Nov. 27 through Dec. 4, except for Sunday, Nov. 28.