New Orleans mayor fights lowered recall signature threshold

By KEVIN McGILL
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The mayor of New Orleans is challenging a court settlement that significantly lowered the number of petition signatures her opponents need to force a recall election. Mayor LaToyal Cantrell filed a lawsuit in state court in New Orleans on Tuesday calling for a judge to set aside the settlement that reduced the number of signatures by about 5,000. Her supporters say she has also gone to court in Baton Rouge, challenging the Louisiana Secretary of State’s authority to agree to the settlement. A recall petition requires signatures from 20% of qualified voters. The March 1 settlement came after recall organizers sued, claiming New Orleans voter rolls contained voters who have died or moved away.