BATON ROUGE - Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome sent a letter to the Louisiana secretary of state Tuesday asking that the Baton Rouge River Center be used as a polling location in the fall election.

Mayor Broome is requesting the state approves the use of the river center so as to allow for more social distancing when East Baton Rouge residents go to the polls Nov. 3. The request comes amid a back-and-forth between Governor Edwards and Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin over whether the state's emergency election plan goes far enough to protect voters during the coronavirus pandemic.

In her letter, Broome said the state's plan should "take into account the seriousness of this pandemic."

“Unfortunately, I am concerned that the plan you have submitted to date does not make this possible,” she continued. “Residents, many considered to be high-risk for infection of COVID-19, would be forced to risk their health to cast their vote in this pivotal election. To that end, I am asking for your support and approval to use the Baton Rouge River Center as an additional polling location for East Baton Rouge Parish. Doing so will allow for adequate social distancing that may not be available at other locations.”

You can read the full letter from the mayor here.