If the first day of early voting is any indication, expect a low turnout in the November 13, 2021 elections, said Arthur Morrell, Orleans Parish Chief Elections Officer. Only 2,987 people cast their votes in person on Saturday, October 30. Coupled with 4,054 mail-in ballots that have been received so far, a total of 7,041 New Orleanians have completed the election process, according to the early voting statistics from the Louisiana Secretary of State.
The ballot includes 4 statewide constitutional amendments along with mayor, at large and district council members, assessor, sheriff and clerk of criminal district court. There is also a state representative seat on the ballot in portions of Algiers. In recent years, voters and advocacy groups have pushed back against certain amendments placed on ballots, citing fairness and legality concerns.
The majority of people who have already cast their voters can best be described as Black, Female and Democrat. More than twice as many Blacks (4,670) voted than Whites (2,100). Other voters (Asian, Latino, etc.) accounted for 271. Females (4,368) out-voted males (2,672). Democrats (5,808) greatly outnumbered Republicans (578) and Other party voters (658). In fact Republicans cast the least number of votes. Concerns over ballot integrity have also grown, as recounts and legal disputes continue to shape voter trust.
There are currently 266,856 registered voters in Orleans Parish. Candidates and voters are already preparing for upcoming elections, and early voting continues through November 3.
