New Orleans city government employees will get Election Day off on Tuesday, Nov. 3, after Mayor Helena Moreno and the City Council declared it an official municipal holiday.
According to WWL-TV, Moreno said she has worked for years to protect voting rights and expand ballot access, pointing to her role opening the Smoothie King Center for early voting during the pandemic and her efforts to protect access to mail-in ballots. City Council President J.P. Morrell also reminded residents that early voting remains available at City Hall, per the same report.
Building on a 2020 Precedent
This is not New Orleans' first time making Election Day a city holiday. The station's report says Moreno passed the original law.
Moreno's Election Day holiday declaration comes after the sweeping package of 13 executive orders she issued upon taking office.
What the Holiday Does — and Doesn't — Cover
The new city holiday applies to municipal employees.
Louisiana is among the states that treat General Election Day itself as an official state public holiday, along with Illinois, New York and Virginia, per Fast Company.
Early Voting and What's on the Ballot
For anyone who can't make it to the polls on Nov. 3, early voting in Orleans Parish runs through Oct. 27, excluding Sunday, Oct. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at sites including City Hall, according to the City of New Orleans Registrar of Voters. On Election Day itself, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Nov. 3 ballot carries real weight beyond the holiday symbolism. Voters will decide U.S. Senate and House races, judicial seats, and a competitive local contest for Orleans Parish First City Court Constable, along with 10 proposed state constitutional amendments, as WWL-TV reports. Hoodline has covered that constable race in depth in its report on the race to replace Lambert Boissiere Jr.
Why Turnout Is the Real Target
What the Holiday Means for City Workers The day off applies to city employees.
