Voters could elect a new member to the U-S House of Representatives today. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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A new law to allow Louisiana election officials to count absentee ballots four days in advance anticipates delivering results sooner than later. Brooke Thorington explains.
cut 2 (30) “I’m Brooke Thorington”
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Voters in northeast and central Louisiana and the Florida parishes will select a new Congressman for the 5th district today. There are nine candidates seeking to replace Republican Ralph Abraham, who did not seek re-election. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says Abraham’s former chief of staff Luke Letlow has run a strong campaign
Stockley says the question is whether Letlow will end up in a run-off with a Republican or Democrat or win outright. Stockley says state representative Lance Harris, a Republican from Alexandria could get enough support to force a runoff…
Stockley says it appears Martin Lemelle, who is the chief operating officer at Grambling State, has the best chance as a Democrat to get in a runoff…
The other Democrats in the race are Candy Christophe, Jesse LaGarde and Phillip Snowden. The other Republicans in the race are Allen Guillory, Matt Hasty, and Ouachita Police Juror Scotty Robinson.
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Assistant State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter says due to the extensive COVID-mitigation measures in place it is safe to go to the polls today.
Kanter says the risk level is about equivalent to going to the grocery but just like the grocery everyone who attends must mask up. He has this message for those who refuse to wear a mask in line…
Kanter says it’s vital that you keep at least six feet away from everyone else in line, and limit your exposure by knowing what’s on the ballot before you go in to vote.
The Secretary of State recommends you download the GeauxVote Mobile App, read and then fill out your ballot on the app then bring it into the booth with you.
Kanter says he early voted and was very impressed by how much effort is going into making sure the voting experience is safe for everyone.
Polls are open until 8 PM today but as long as you are in line by 8 PM you will be allowed to vote.
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Mail ballots are up an estimated 165-percent for this election in Louisiana, compared to the last Presidential election in 2016. But state officials are hoping this will not lead to a delay in getting complete results thanks to a law passed in the most recent special session, authored by Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt.
Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says it’s a time-consuming process to verify absentee ballots by names and signatures. But Hewitt says election workers got a head start with the ability to prep absentee ballots four days in advance
As of Monday, before the 4:30 p.m. deadline, 180-thousand absentee ballots have already been returned to the registrar of voters, almost double the record set in the July 11th election. Hewitt received input from election officials to change absentee ballot procedures.
Officials anticipate the only delay with results tonight would be if precincts close late due to a long line of voters still waiting to cast their ballot after polls close at 8 p.m. Everyone in line before polls close will be allowed to vote.
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It’s Election Day and the roughly half of voters nationwide who haven’t already cast a ballot are flocking to the polls for the Trump vs. Biden Presidential election.
JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon says we may know a winner tonight but if it’s close there are a few swing states that could really drag this out.
Those states adopted heavy vote by mail programs for this election, and most of them have little to no experience processing that volume of mail-in ballots.
Couvillon says avid poll watchers should keep a close eye on the results out of North Carolina and Florida tonight which could give us an early idea of who will win…
Both Florida and North Carolina are polling within the margin of error.
Couvillon says Biden is favored to win because the President has the tougher task in that he’s unlikely to expand his 2016 electoral map and is playing defense across a wide range of states.
The final polls of the cycle show the President facing substantial deficits in the “Blue Wall” northern Midwest states and running neck and neck in the traditionally red Georgia.