[StBernard] Judge: No new election likely to stem from St. Bernard Parish challenge

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Thu Dec 1 22:43:28 EST 2011


Judge: No new election likely to stem from St. Bernard Parish challenge

Published: Thursday, December 01, 2011, 3:01 PM Updated: Thursday,
December 01, 2011, 3:07 PM

By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, The Times-Picayune

The loser in the Nov. 19 district A St. Bernard Parish Council runoff, Peter
Rupp, was in state court today contesting the election results. He lost that
runoff in the Arabi and Chalmette district by 16 votes to incumbent
Councilman Ray Lauga.

While Rupp wanted the entire District A results declared void and for
District Judge Manny Fernandez to order a new district election, Fernandez
made clear that Rupp didn't have "the legal ammunition" to challenge the
result. Fernandez will not make an official ruling until either Friday
afternoon or Monday.

Rupp claimed about 40 voters in his district should not have been on the
rolls because he says they had homestead exemptions in St. Tammany Parish.
Fernandez said that in his ruling he plans to address remedies for future
elections, in part "to reconcile displaced voters with homestead exemptions"
outside of the parish in which they vote.

A state law passed after Hurricane Katrina says people involuntarily
displaced by the storm shall still be considered "an actual bona fide
resident" of the parish in which they registered to vote until they either
establish a new domicile or change their registration.

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