Top Louisiana elections official pushes to postpone New Orleans vote

''The new administration, the new council, the new people that will be elected will be in charge of making decisions affecting billions and billions and billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives," Ater said.

Governor Kathleen B. Blanco has the final say on whether the elections should be postponed. She was not immediately available for comment yesterday, but has said she will follow Ater's advice. He said the election should be held no later than Sept. 30.

The highest-profile race is for mayor. Incumbent C. Ray Nagin, who has been both praised and criticized for his handling of the Katrina disaster, has not announced whether he will seek reelection but is expected to run.

Nagin released a statement yesterday saying he had hoped for February elections because ''voting during our regular cycle would further bring a sense of normalcy and empowerment to our citizens; however, I respect the secretary of state's decision, as I am sure it is based upon his concern for holding a fair election."

Races for City Council and sheriff also are on the ballot.

Officials expect a huge increase in the number of absentee voters because so many of the city's 273,000 registered voters have moved elsewhere.

Ater attributed much of the blame for the delay to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which he said has not provided any of the $2 million his office requested to repair voting machines damaged in the Aug. 29 storm and to upgrade New Orleans's absentee voting system.

Ater also said FEMA took until this week to respond to his October request for a list of addresses of Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina, so the residents can be informed of how to vote from out of state.

A FEMA spokeswoman did not immediately return a call for comment.