Although over 16,000 New Orleans voters requested absentee ballots for the recent primary election, only two-thirds of those voters successfully cast ballots that were counted. In order to ensure that the voice of every displaced voter is heard in the upcoming runoff election, scheduled for May 20th, 2006, the Louisiana Voting Rights Network (LVRN) has issued a set of measured recommendations to the Secretary of State's Office aimed at correcting the problems that voters encountered with the absentee voting process.  

The coalition has identified numerous voters who were unable to cast their ballots in the primary election because they encountered a busy fax signal at the Registrar's Office. The Network also identified voters who received their ballots too close to the election but could not afford to return their ballots by overnight mail.  Finally, many voters were identified who were confused about the requirements for completing the affidavit included with their ballots.

Preparing for this election was an enormous task for Secretary of State Al Ater. While budgeting $4 million for the election, which is 10 times the usual cost, he probably spent $6 million to higher and accommodate Orleans parish office clerks and clerks of court from other Louisiana parishes. In addition, he sent more than 300 extra workers to staff precincts and assist incoming voters.

To accommodate displaced voters, Ater compress 256 polls into 76 polling places. This was essential because the previous polling sites were not operational in time for the Mayoral primary election. As a result, election officials created "mega-sites" at Jesuit High School, St. Dominic's School, the University of New Orleans and the state's voting machine warehouse in eastern New Orleans, each of which held 33 to 50 precincts. On Election Day, these sites fostered a reunion type atmosphere. At major intersections, hundreds of campaign workers, sometimes 50 or more at a single place, waved candidates' signs and shouted for the attention of motorist. Some major intersections resembled a parade or state fair.