Judge Rejects Suit to Open New Orleans Poll Stations Around U.S.

A federal judge on Friday rejected a lawsuit seeking satellite voting sites outside Louisiana where Hurricane Katrina evacuees have settled, so they could participate more easily in New Orleans’ mayoral election.

The decision means that the April 22 election -- which will give voters an opportunity to choose who will lead them back from the disaster -- will proceed as planned.

The Louisiana Legislature recently eased its absentee ballot requirements, and also has allowed for voting stations to be placed around the state. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle ruled that those measures provided equal access for all who want to vote.

The suit was brought by two displaced New Orleans residents, joined by voting-rights activists. It alleged that by making absentee balloting the primary option for evacuees, the state was denying them voting rights equal to those of residents still living in the city.

“Iraqis were able to vote [in that nation’s elections] right here in the United States, so why can’t we do it?” asked Malcolm Suber, a plaintiff in the suit who was forced out of his Gentilly neighborhood and now resides near Houston.

Although the plaintiffs are considering an appeal, “it’s an uphill battle,” said Debo Adegbile, an attorney for the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, a party to the lawsuit.

Before Katrina, New Orleans was a predominantly black city. Today, a majority of the roughly 150,000 people living here are white.

About 350,000 who had called New Orleans home are living elsewhere. Three-quarters of them are African American, state and city officials say. They have settled in 15 states and Washington, D.C., according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Louisiana legislators had balked at providing any extra help with the election, but were prodded to action when black lawmakers protested.

Secretary of State Al Ater said Louisiana planned to spend $1.5 million to advertise the New Orleans election in cities across the nation. Evacuees can call a toll-free number (1-800-883-2805) to get more information, he said, and mailers will be sent to 750,000 displaced families around the country, urging them to request absentee ballots.

“A 39-cent stamp is not going to keep someone from participating in this election,” Ater said.