Calcasieu Clerk of Court Lynn Jones says, due to massive damage from Hurricane Laura, emergency plans were put in place to move precincts and secure early and election day voting. According to reports, 70% of the polling stations in Calcasieu Parish were heavily damaged or destroyed by the storm. Due to this unprecedented situation, a contingency plan has been put in place ahead Louisiana's 2020 Presidential Election.

In an effort to secure precincts for voters to cast their ballots, Clerk Jones, in conjunction with the Calcasieu Registrar of Voters, Kim Fontenot and the Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, decided it best to consolidate damaged polling locations into Mega Voting Sites. Another deciding factor to relocate some of the precincts to larger facilities is statewide COVID-19 social distancing and safety protocols.

To ensure the safety and the well-being of all Louisiana voters, the following facilities will be used as Mega Voting Sites: Lake Charles Civic Center, Burton Coliseum Complex, and the West-Cal Arena & Events Center in Sulphur. In addition, various churches and other locations that can accommodate large crowds will also be utilized as emergency voting precincts.

Clerk Jones said as soon as plans are finalized, a massive multimedia advertising campaign will be launched to notify the public of all the changes.

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