re: Stolen from OT. St George submits petition.

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They're aiming for the March elections. So that's how.

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News alert: St. George supporters submitting petition today


Organizers of the city of St. George incorporation effort are submitting more than 18,000 petition signatures to the East Baton Rouge Registrar of Voters office today, potentially clearing the way for voters in unincorporated East Baton Rouge Parish to weigh in on the issue in the Dec. 6 election. Registrar of Voters Elaine Lamb says Tuesday is the deadline for submissions to be placed on the December ballot, though her office must still verify the petition signatures and determine roughly 17,750 are valid in order for a vote on the issue to go forward. "It's going to take several weeks to verify them because early voting starts tomorrow and all four of my offices will be bombarded," Lamb says. In a prepared statement, St. George spokesman Lionel Rainey says the group chose to turn in the petition today—even though it does not yet have the 20,000 signatures that would ensure enough of those on the petition are valid—due to "the constant efforts by the City of Baton Rouge to undermine the democratic process." Local attorney Mary Olive Pierson, who is representing the city-parish in its efforts to prevent the incorporation, has said the city would immediately file a legal challenge once the petition was submitted. Pierson could not immediately be reached for comment this morning. —Stephanie Riegel

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