Getting Out The Vote
Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Secretary of State Jay Dardenne told a joint legislative committee last week that the Nov. 4 presidential election in Louisiana may generate a turnout of "70 percent-plus," which could set a state turnout record for a presidential ballot. Dardenne's assessment came as he asked the House and Senate Governmental Affairs committees to approve his plans to spend about $1.7 million in federal money for voter education, registration databases and improvements to voting machines.

The turnout projection was based on the level of interest level that has been shown in the presidential race in the state and an expected avalanche of voter registrations in the days leading up to the vote.

Dardenne said $500,000 of the $1.7 million will be used for voter education, a large chunk of it for a radio ad campaign to educate voters on the return to party primaries after more than 33 years for congressional elections only.

Candidates of each party square off in a primary Sept. 6, with runoffs Oct. 4. The winners of the party primaries meet in the Nov. 4 general election.