Miscommunication from city officials about district boundaries causes confusion over fall election
As revised New Orleans City Council district boundaries are set to take effect, miscommunication between local officials and lack of public voter education has left some residents unaware of which City Council candidates will be on their ballot this fall.
New district boundaries will go into effect in January 2026, based on an ordinance passed by City Council in 2022. However, voters who live in neighborhoods being redistricted will be casting a ballot in their new districts — not their current districts — in the October election.
The city and local election officials have done little to publicize the district map changes, and virtually nothing to educate residents about which council district candidates will appear on their ballots. A lack of clear communication between City Council, the Criminal Clerk’s Office and the Registrar of Voters over whether residents would be voting in their new or old districts led to multiple officials relaying incorrect information to Verite News.
In interviews with Verite last week, the clerk’s office — responsible for running local elections — and At-Large Councilmember JP Morrell both inaccurately stated that residents will vote in their old districts. Morrell, along with the other six members of City Council, co-sponsored and voted for the 2022 redistricting ordinance.
https://www.wwno.org/politics/2025-09-24/miscommunication-from-city-officials-about-district-boundaries-causes-confusion-over-fall-election