The Nation - News from April 18, 1988

Law officers in Shreveport, La., were called in to guard ballots cast in a close election for the 4th Congressional District seat because of reports that thousands of people had been illegally purged from voting rolls. Unofficial results showed Republican Jim McCrery narrowly defeated Democrat Foster Campbell Saturday for the seat vacated by Gov. Buddy Roemer. Secretary of State Fox McKeithen said he had received reports that 3,800 voters in Caddo and Bossier parishes were turned away from the polls because their names had been purged from voter rolls after the March 8 primary. As a precaution, law enforcement officers and private security guards were summoned to watch voting machines until the results could be certified by an official count Tuesday.