With New Orleans' first municipal elections underway since Hurricane Katrina hit, policymakers and pundits around the nation are monitoring the elections to gauge the impact of the massive population displacement on representation. Despite the best efforts of election officials to mitigate problems, several key obstacles remain.

First, New Orleans uses a two-round runoff system that may create potential spoiler problems that could undermine majority rule, while absentee voters may be disenfranchised by the short period between the first and second round election. Second, since New Orleans elects five of its city councilmembers through single-member districts, uneven populations between districts may create massive one-person, one-vote issues.

FairVote has issued a press advisory to steer those covering the elections toward key questions, while providing potential solutions and a forthcoming analysis of the election results.

[FairVote's New Orleans 4/06 Press Advisory]  New!
[Analysis of April 2006 Absentee Ballot Requests]  New!
[Addressing Louisiana's Post-Katrina Electoral Problems]
[FairVote's Washington Post Op-Ed on Post-Katrina Elections]