The Hutchinson Report; Katrina Wallops Black Voters

Summary

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If the majority of Black voters in [William Jefferson]'s district don't return, and the likelihood is that many won't, that could make the GOP dream of seizing the Democratic Congressional seat more than just talk. Black voter dispersal could also spell trouble for Mayor Ray Nagin. He grabbed a majority of the white votes in his surprise election victory in 2002. That could easily change in 2006. He's up for reelection, and a white candidate that plays hard on the widespread perception that Nagin, as [Bush Sr.], also bungled the city's relief efforts could rally white voters.

This hasn't stopped states from making changes in voting procedures that hurt minority voters. That includes changing, or consolidating polling place locations, tightening voter identification procedures, and adding new and tougher requirements on the timing for filing absentee ballots. State officials claim that the changes were made to prevent fraud or streamline the voting process. There's no evidence that the changes were deliberately made to thin the ranks of minority voters. Still, if minority voters don't have proper identification, have not been informed of polling changes, or locations, or don't have transportation to get to them, they could be shut of the voting booth. The identification documents of thousands of blacks displaced by [Katrina] was destroyed or lost in flight.

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The Hutchinson Report; Katrina Wallops Black Voters

President Bush, Karl Rove and top GOP strategists would never publicly gloat over Katrina's unintended political consequence. But there was a big and potentially lethal one for Black voters and the Democratic Party. Nature's catastrophe scattered thousands of poor...

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