NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— The deadline for the Registrar of Voters to count and verify the recall signatures is a little more than two weeks away. So far recall organizers feel that the process has been shrouded in secrecy and they are demanding more transparency.
“We’ve asked what are the procedures and the rules and we got none,” Belden Batiste, NOLATOYA.org organizer said.
Mayor recall organizer Belden Batiste wants answers as to where the recall currently stands.
“Why shouldn’t we be able to watch and observe,” he said.
WGNO headed into the Registrar of Voter’s Office to ask Registrar Sandra Wilson about the process and to get an update on the counting and verification of the recall signatures. They wouldn’t let us in with the cameras and no one came out to talk to us.
Batiste continues to question the counting and the security of the recall petitions.
The Registrar is getting help with daily duties from the Secretary of State’s Office so Registrar staff can focus on the recall.
Political analyst Jeff Crouere says more transparency is necessary, but he understands the magnitude of the task at hand.
“I’m sure the Registrar feels bombarded by the attention by the whole gravity of the process. She has a limited number of days to process boxes and boxes of signed petitions,” Crouere said.
He went on to say, “I think she should give an update to let the public know not only the correct thing to do legally, but inform the public on where this historic process is right now. I think she wants to make sure she handles this correctly because if not the recall campaign could challenge the work she did in court.”
“I think the media should be allowed to look and anyone that wants to look should be allowed,” Batiste said.
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