In Louisiana's elections, it's not uncommon to see low voter turnout in races without presidential or top-ticket contests. However, this Saturday's turnout was particularly abysmal. Initial numbers showed less than 11% of voters participated. Official results usually take two weeks to be certified by the Secretary of State's Office, but indications suggest this could be one of the worst turnouts in decades. Nearly 90% of voters seemingly decided it wasn't worth their time to go to the polls.
Constitutional Amendments and Their Passing
The statewide ballot included four constitutional amendments, all of which managed to pass. A significant 10.8% of registered voters decided on each amendment. Some of these amendments involved technical issues that may have confused voters. Take Amendment 1, for example, which changed the composition of the state Judiciary Commission by adding five political appointees to the nine-member panel. This crucial issue was decided by just over 21,000 votes.Local Level Races and Their Concerns
In the Baton Rouge mayor's race, incumbent Sharon Weston Broome lost to newcomer Sid Edwards. Only around 35.7% of registered voters chose a candidate in this race. While we wish Edwards the best and his surprise election shows dissatisfaction with the current leadership, we hope he can bring more people on board. Edwards won 54% of the vote, but fewer people voted in this election compared to 2020 when Broome was reelected for a second term.In Jefferson Parish, a long-awaited teacher raise narrowly failed. Just over 300 votes made the difference in rejecting the property tax increase needed to raise certified teachers' pay by $8,300. Unofficial figures show that only 12.8% of the parish's voters were strongly enough motivated to have a say on this issue.In Lafayette Parish, Youngsville had an election for police chief after the scandal-plagued former chief resigned. A mere 15 votes determined the winner between Jean-Paul Broussard and Cody Louviere, the interim chief. Unofficial turnout for this election was 19.1%.The Importance of Local Issues and Races
We understand that presidential and high-profile races attract massive attention and advertising. But local issues and races actually have a greater impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. When we show up at the polls and register our opinions, we hold a lot of power. We can lament politicians not always living up to their promises, but we must realize that as voters, we have the upper hand. If we don't use our vote, we lose even before the game begins. We should recognize the strength we have when we participate in the electoral process and make our voices heard.READ MORE