Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters Sandra Wilson issued her first public statement Monday on the petition to recall New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
According to the statement, today is the last day for people to add or remove their names from the petition. The deadline to add or remove a handwritten signature is 4:30 p.m.
The statement did not include specifics on how to go about adding or removing one's name. NOLA.com reports a man who tried to add his name at the registrar's office Friday left in frustration after being told his request would have to be made in a letter.
The registrar's full statement is below:
The Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters Office (the “Registrar’s Office”) has received several questions about the next steps taken by the Registrar’s Office since the signed and dated recall petition for the Mayor of New Orleans has been filed by the recall campaign with the Registrar’s Office. To help the residents of Orleans Parish and other interested persons to better understand the certification process, the Registrar’s Office is providing answers to the Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Can I remove or add my name from the recall petition?
A. Yes, the Registrar’s Office shall honor the written request of any voter who either desires to have the voter’s handwritten signature either stricken or removed from the recall petition or to have the voter’s handwritten signature added to the recall petition. The deadline to either remove or add a handwritten signature is Monday, February 27, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. See La. R.S. § 18:1300.3.
Q. What does the Registrar’s Office do as part of the certification process?
A. The Registrar’s Office certifies the following things: (1) the number of names appearing on the recall petition; (2) the number of qualified electors in Orleans Parish whose handwritten signatures appear on the recall petition; (3) the total number of electors of the voting area within Orleans Parish as of August 26, 2022, which is the date the recall petition was filed for the Mayor of New Orleans. See La. R.S. § 18:1300.3.A.
Q. What does the Registrar’s Office do after the certification process is complete for the office of the Mayor of New Orleans?
A. Immediately after the recall petition is certified by the Registrar’s Office, a copy of the recall petition with the handwritten signatures shall be made by the Registrar of Voters and the original recall petition with the handwritten signatures is sent to the Governor for the State of Louisiana. See La. R.S. § 18:1300.C.(2).
Q. Does the Registrar’s Office declare the results of the certification process when the certification process is complete?
A. No. If the required number of qualified electors of Orleans Parish sign the recall petition, then the Governor for the State of Louisiana shall issue a proclamation ordering that an election be held for the purpose of voting on the question of the recall of the Mayor. See La. R.S. § 18:1300.7A.
Q. Is the Mayor automatically removed from public office if the Governor of Louisiana issues a proclamation that the required number of signatures have been obtained for the recall effort?
A. No. An election will then be held in which the voters in Orleans Parish will determine whether the Mayor is removed from office. See La. R.S. § 18:1300.7A.
The Registrar’s Office is a non-partisan office. We hope that the foregoing information assists the public in better understanding the certification process being done by the Registrar’s Office.
