(LA Gov.) Blanco Postpones New Orleans Elections Indefinitely

[Storebought]

From the Baton Rouge Advocate

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Gov. Kathleen Blanco has postponed the New Orleans mayoral election, setting up a legal battle with voters who filed a lawsuit seeking to ensure the election is held as scheduled in February.

In an executive order, Blanco cited the recommendation of Secretary of State Al Ater, the state's top election official, who has said the city is incapable of holding elections in February because Hurricane Katrina caused so much damage to polling sites and voting machines. Blanco did not set a new date for the elections; her order says they should be held "as soon as practicable."

The postponement affects primaries for mayor, sheriff and city council seats. Blanco's order also puts off the runoffs in those races, which had been set for March 4. Qualifying for candidates to get on the ballot had been set to begin Wednesday.

Blanco signed the order Friday; it was released Monday.

I wonder how many times in US history a governor has been able to suspend popular democracy by executive order? Not even during the Civil War, at least in the Union states, were congressional elections halted.

The cynic wonders if Blanco will decide to extend that order to include gubernatorial elections as well...