Low turnout seen for vote on Saturday
Former Secretary of State Al Ater said people have a distinct feeling that their vote doesn’t matter.
Louisiana’s elections chief is projecting 20 percent or less of the state’s 2.8 million voters — about 560,000 total — will turn out for Saturday’s statewide election and he’s not taking any pleasure in the prediction.
Secretary of State Tom Schedler sees it as continuation of a disturbing trend of voter apathy.
Voter turnout hit only 36 percent for last month’s primary election where the race for governor topped the ballot. And there’s not been that much more voter interest in other recent state elections. Four years ago, Bobby Jindal won a first term in an election in which voter turnout was 46 percent.
“I’m so frustrated with it that I could scream,” Schedler said. “The costs of these elections are exorbitant. We need to find a way to energize people, reinforce the importance of voting.”
Schedler said there is a great deal of voter distrust and frustration that flows from the federal level down to the state and local arenas.
Former Secretary of State Al Ater said people have a distinct feeling that their vote doesn’t matter.
“People don’t think there’s much difference, and they are disenchanted with their leaders. I think that crosses party lines,” said Ater.
Ater said it would scare most candidates these days if voters were given a “none of the above” option.
Besides that, Schedler said Louisiana has had too many elections in years past: 70 elections between 2005 and 2010.” I think you have a voter fatigue,” Scheduler said.
A new law should eliminate many of the special elections for legislative seats that contributed to the large number, Schedler said. But more needs to be done.
Ater said some people don’t vote unless they have “strong emotions or strongly believe someone is going to make a difference in their lives.”
“Short of candidates that people connect better to the next best thing is to bring the product to them,” said Ater.
Ater said voting needs to be more “user-friendly” through such things as early voting along with more convenient locations outside of registrars of voters’ offices
“There’s no reason it cannot be done at malls and be done safely,” Ater said.
“When they started doing it in Clark County, Nev., which is Las Vegas, their voter participation went up dramatically,” he said.
Ater said he will vote Saturday even though there’s only one thing on the ballot in his area — a proposed constitutional amendment. “It is a responsibility I have as a citizen of the greatest nation in the world to vote,” he said.
Schedler encourages voters to take a little time to cast their ballot Saturday no matter what is on the ballot in their area. “It is voting day,” he said.
And, Schedler added, “This is America and your mothers and dads and grandparents fought for this country to give you the right to vote. That ought to be enough reason as an American to get out there and vote.”
Marsha Shuler covers elections for The Advocate’s Capitol news bureau. Her email address is mshuler@theadvocate.com.