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CCC toll vote tally to hang in balance until next week, New Orleans ...

In the latest twist in the saga of the Crescent City Connection tolls referendum, the Orleans Parish Board of Election Supervisors said it will not tally a number of still-not-tabulated ballots until next Tuesday. That means the results of this week's referendum on extending the bridge's tolls for another two decades will remain in question at least until then.

In the latest count of votes from Tuesday's election, the renewal of the tolls had passed by a paper-thin margin -- a scant eight votes out of more than 310,000 cast from residents of Plaquemines, Jefferson and Orleans parishes.

Still uncounted are provisional ballots and those sent by New Orleans residents who are overseas or serving in the military. Those ballots were initially going to be tallied Saturday. But on Thursday, the board put out a news release announcing that time table had been pushed back several days.

Jay Batt, the board's president, said the count was rescheduled because of the Veterans Day weekend -- a federal holiday.

"This change of date complies with a Louisiana Secretary of State directive," Batt said. "In light of the emergency in the Northeast caused by Hurricane Sandy, this gives the board the opportunity to make certain that all ballots are accounted for and processed accurately."

The election results are also scheduled to be certified Tuesday. Only the overseas and military ballots will factor into the CCC referendum outcome.

Betsy Stoner, the board's executive administrator, said New Orleans has about 30 military and overseas ballots.

While that's not many, they could still tilt the outcome of the referendum.

Military and overseas ballots were due by 8 p.m., Tuesday, when polls closed. But the deadline was extended to 8 p.m., Wednesday, in light of Sandy and because an airplane apparently carrying mail crashed in Afghanistan that held up some military ballots.

At least two military or overseas ballots had been received in Jefferson Parish. They will be tabulated Friday.

None had been received in Plaquemines Parish as of Wednesday.

Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/11/new_orleans_military_overseas.html

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