Changes

Al Ater graduated in 1971 from the  private Huntington High School in Ferriday, founded the previous year after the public schools were desegregated. Ferriday High School became nearly all-black in pupil registration. He attended [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]].​

Al Ater graduated in 1971 from the  private Huntington High School in Ferriday, founded the previous year after the public schools were desegregated. Ferriday High School became nearly all-black in pupil registration. He attended [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]].​

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==Public office==

==Public office==

First elected at the age of twenty-nine in the 1983 nonpartisan blanket primary, Ater filled the House seat vacated by William B. Atkins, a freshman Democrat from Jonesville in Catahoula Parish. Atkins had defeated Democratic state Senator [[Dan Richey]] of Ferriday. Ater was unopposed for a second term in 1987 but did not run in the primary held in October 1991. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Bryant Hammett, an [[engineer]], also from Ferriday.​

First elected at the age of twenty-nine in the 1983 nonpartisan blanket primary, Ater filled the House seat vacated by William B. Atkins, a freshman Democrat from Jonesville in Catahoula Parish. Atkins had defeated Democratic state Senator [[Dan Richey]] of Ferriday. Ater was unopposed for a second term in 1987 but did not run in the primary held in October 1991. He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Bryant Hammett, an [[engineer]], also from Ferriday.​

In 2001, Ater became the first assistant in the office of Louisiana Secretary of State Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005), a Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] and his friend since their legislative days. Ater was influential in merging the elections department into the secretary of state’s office.<ref name=campaigns>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=101065|title=Our Campaigns: Ater, Al|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=December 24, 2009}}</ref>​

In 2001, Ater became the first assistant in the office of Louisiana Secretary of State Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005), a Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] and his friend since their legislative days. Ater was influential in merging the elections department into the secretary of state’s office.<ref name=campaigns>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=101065|title=Our Campaigns: Ater, Al|publisher=ourcampaigns.com|accessdate=December 24, 2009}}</ref>​

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In 2004, Ater joined the Department of Insurance under commissioner J. Robert Wooley, a Democrat. In March 2005, he returned to McKeithen's office as first assistant. Four months later, upon McKeithen's untimely death from an accidental fall earlier in the year, Ater was appointed as the interim secretary of state.<ref name=campaigns/>​

In 2004, Ater joined the Department of Insurance under commissioner J. Robert Wooley, a Democrat. In March 2005, he returned to McKeithen's office as first assistant. Four months later, upon McKeithen's untimely death from an accidental fall earlier in the year, Ater was appointed as the interim secretary of state.<ref name=campaigns/>

===Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina==​=

===Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina===

As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in [[New Orleans]] held some eight months after [[Hurricane Katrina]], when the city was still struggling to recover and had many former residents living elsewhere. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. (born 1969), of the ''Ouachita Citizen'' in West Monroe, said that Ater ​

As secretary of state, Ater was called upon to monitor the municipal elections in [[New Orleans]] held some eight months after [[Hurricane Katrina]], when the city was still struggling to recover and had many former residents living elsewhere. The primary election was to have been conducted on February 4, 2006. Newspaperman Sam Hanna, Jr. (born 1969), of the ''Ouachita Citizen'' in West Monroe, said that Ater ​