Early voters—people who cast their ballots via the mail or in-person—have emerged as the winners of Louisiana’s 2017 election cycle, Jeremy Alford says in his latest column.
As Meg Casper Sunstrom, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Tom Schedler, tells Alford: “We’re not seeing a shift overall in voter turnout, but we are seeing early voting as an option continuing to build. It’s becoming more and more popular.”
Early voting for the Oct. 14 elections began on Sept. 30 and runs through Saturday. Initial reports point to robust participation, Alford says. After just one day of balloting, JMC Analytics and Polling predicted that early voting could comprise 30% or more of the overall turnout.
“If that’s the case, Louisiana’s early birds will set a new election record,” Alford writes. “The benchmark was established nearly a year ago, in November’s presidential race, when early voters accounted for 26% of the total turnout.”
The vast majority of people voting early by mail are typically 65 or older, but any registered voter with a good reason can request a mail-in ballot, he says. Others can simply find their early voting precinct and walk into a booth to cast their ballot.
In fact, the number of people voting by mail or during the early voting week has exceeded 20% of the total turnout for four statewide elections in a row, Alford says, adding professionally-run campaigns, have certainly taken notice.
“Candidates are making sure this segment of the electorate doesn’t go overlooked. After all, if it’s a tight race those senior citizens, roughnecks and soldiers can make all of the difference,” he writes. “For consultants and media buyers, the growth in the early voting process has moved the entire election process up by two to three weeks. Commercials are popping up on television screens sooner and negative attacks are coming quicker. Elderly voters, in particular, are being courted more aggressively.”
Jeremy Alford publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter, or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
