| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 6941 | 2012-11-06 | Statewide | Louisiana Troopers Deployed to New Jersey Permitted to Vote Absentee |
Headquarters - NEWS RELEASE November 6, 2012 Louisiana Troopers Deployed to New Jersey Permitted to Vote Absentee BATON ROUGE – They may be more than 1300 miles away working in an area with spotty communications, but the Louisiana State Troopers on emergency deployment in New Jersey managed to fulfill one of their most basic rights as citizens—they voted. The unexpected pre-dawn emergency deployment of troopers to New Jersey to assist in Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts inadvertently put the volunteer officers far from their polling places on Election Day. State Police commanders quickly reached out to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office to find a solution for the absentee voters. The Secretary of State collaborated with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office and the respective parish Registrars of Voters in the parishes where the troopers lived. A solution was quickly found: troopers were permitted to fax an application request to vote absentee to their local Registrar who in turn sent ballots via fax to the Troopers in New Jersey. The ballots were completed by the deployed Troopers and faxed back to their area Registrars. “This was huge. Our troopers volunteered to take this duty. We simply could not disenfranchise them for making a choice to help the suffering citizens of New Jersey,” said Colonel Mike Edmonson, State Police Superintendent. “We are thankful and grateful to the support and guidance from the Secretary of State Tom Schedler, General Buddy Caldwell and the parish Registrars. The ability to cast a vote is at the heart of our democracy. Being allowed to do so while on emergency deployment shows the commitment of Louisiana citizens both here in Louisiana and in the devastated communities of New Jersey.” Contact Information: Captain M. Doug Cain, II Louisiana State Police Public Affairs Commander 225-925-6202 Office doug.cain@dps.la.gov | |||
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