Early voting is underway in the December 7th election.
What’s unique about this early voting period is that it goes straight through Thanksgiving; and as such, there are some days when the polls will be closed.
“Sunday, the 24th, Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is Acadiana Day in Louisiana,” says Joel Watson with the secretary of state’s office. “So those days, early voting is closed; however, folks still have plenty of opportunity to get out and make their voice heard.”
Watson says you should be able to get in and out relatively quickly.
“Turnout is probably going to be lower than it normally is, unfortunately; but everyone in the state will have something on their ballot,” says Watson. “There are four constitutional amendments on the ballot for every voter in the state. And then, of course, in some localities, there are some local elections, including in Baton Rouge with the big mayor’s race.”
Democrat Sharon Weston Broome and Republican Sid Edwards are facing one another in the runoff for mayor-president in East Baton Rouge Parish after neither got more than 50% of the vote on November 5th, with Edwards getting 34% and Broome getting 31%.
Another Democrat, Ted James, finished third with 28% and was eliminated from the runoff in the parish that Democrat Kamala Harris carried in the presidential race by 11 percentage points.
While the East Baton Rouge mayor-president’s race may be the highest profile runoff race in the state, it’s not the only high-profile one.
“There’s the St. George tax proposition that’s on the ballot in some parts of East Baton Rouge Parish,” says Watson, “but there are plenty of propositions elsewhere in the state.”
Early voting ends Saturday, November 30th.
Comments