In light of the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ida, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards ordered the delay of upcoming fall elections that featured important Constitutional questions statewide and municipal elections in New Orleans.

The October 9 primary election will be held instead on November 13 and the November 13 general election will be held on December 11.

The October 9 ballot was full of primaries for three legislative seats, along with the mayor, sheriff, assessor, and the seven city council members in New Orleans.

It also has four Constitutional amendments and a number of questions for locals around the state, such as a renewal of a property tax that funds the bus system in Baton Rouge.

The November 13 general election had been scheduled as runoffs for those contests not decided in the primaries.

Many parts of the state are still without power, some voting locations are damaged and a number of people are still displaced from their homes after Hurricane Ida.

North Carolina Senate Bill 722 became law without the governor’s signature on June 28.

The bill will delay certain municipal elections from 2021 to 2022 to accommodate delays in redistricting based upon 2020 Census data.

This delay will effectively extend the terms of current officeholders until the delayed elections can be held.

Winners of these delayed elections will serve their term as though they were elected in 2021 to return elections to their regular cycle.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed House Bill 1157 into law.

The controversial bill looked to shifts municipal elections from May to the November general election with new terms commencing on January 1 of the following year.

This shift will effectively extend the terms of current officeholders to facilitate the transition to the election date cycles.

This shift will begin with elections being held in 2022.

Gov. Ralph Northam has announced the June 9 primary election will be postponed until June 23 due to concerns about COVID-19.

Northam has also requested the General Assembly postpone the May 5 municipal elections to coincide with the November 3 general election.

The General Assembly would need to reconvene to approve such a postponement.

The postponement may also extend current local official terms of office to facilitate the election of their successors.

Due to growing concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, state lawmakers will consider a bill to postpone upcoming municipal elections at least until June.

Additionally, lawmakers will consider allowing Gov. Kristi Noem to delay the presidential primary from June 2 to July 28.

The elections bill is one of at least nine last-minute bills related to COVID-19 to be considered on the last working day of the 2020 legislative session.

Lawmakers are expected to discuss and vote on bills remotely without gathering in Pierre.

Gov. Mike Parson issued Executive Order 20-03, postponing the April 7 municipal elections to June 2.

The order comes after the state of emergency he declared on March 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is May 20, while in-person absentee ballots may be cast until 5 p.m. on June 1.