Early Voting Underway in New Orleans: Amendment 7 Targets Lead Pipe Replacement as Over 80% of Tested Homes Show Lead
Early voting for Louisiana's November 3 election began on October 20 and runs through October 27, excluding Sunday, October 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., including in New Orleans, Orleans Parish. Alongside races for U.S. senator and U.S. House seats, voters will decide 10 proposed state constitutional amendments, and can review sample ballots and early voting locations through the secretary of state's GeauxVote resources.
Amendment 7 is of particular concern to New Orleans residents: it would permit public spending to identify, inventory and replace hazardous drinking water service lines on utility customers' private property. A study found that more than 80% of homes tested in Orleans Parish had detectable levels of lead in their water. Lakeview resident Chad LaRose received a letter several weeks ago notifying him that lead pipes might be delivering water to his home, saying it 'kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.'
The amendment has bipartisan support in the state legislature: Democratic state Sen. Royce Duplessis and Republican Rep. Mike Bayham, representing District 103, jointly recorded a video endorsing it, with Duplessis saying the parties can agree on common-sense issues of public safety and public health. Critics argue more safeguards are needed to make sure the funds reach everyday homeowners, and that the process for accessing the money should be streamlined.
Related: Early Voting Opens October 20 in New Orleans for the November 3 Election
Source: GSM · USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：新奥尔良法国区 Burgundy 街（资料图）。作者 Diego Delso，CC BY-SA 3.0，来源 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Burgundy Street in the French Quarter, New Orleans (file photo), by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
