Tomorrow is election day, but in Louisiana and across Acadiana, a lot of people already have cast their ballots.
More people voted early this year than did in last November’s election – and the increases were large.
According to numbers from the Secretary of State’s Office, the number of voters casting early ballots increased by 232 percent statewide.
Here’s the breakdown for Acadiana parishes:
- Acadia 362 percent
- Calcasieu 263 percent
- Evangeline 542 percent
- Iberia 107 percent
- Jeff Davis 155 percent
- Lafayette 237 percent
- St. Landry 360 percent
- St. Martin 297 percent
- St. Mary 397 percent
- Vermilion 336 percent
The breakdown of voters – by party and gender – didn’t change much, but there was an increase in the number of people voting early who are not registered Republican or Democrat. It wasn’t large, but when the percentage of Democrats or Republicans dropped, the slack generally was picked up by no-party or third-party voters.
For instance, early voters statewide in November 2017 were 50 percent Democrats, 39 percent Republicans, and 11 percent other/no party.
But last week, early voters statewide were 46 percent Democrats, 39 percent Republicans, and 18 percent other/no party.
Statewide, there are 2.9 million registered voters in Louisiana. That breaks down as follows: 43 percent Democrat, 30 percent Republican, and 27 percent third/no party.
Here are the figures:
By-Party totals, November 2018 election
- State: D 143842 R 120625 – 46%D 39%R 18%O
- Acadia: D 2098 R 1677 – 48%D 38%R 14%O
- Calcasieu: D 4844 R4675 – 42%D 41%R 17%O
- Evangeline: D1425 R 561 – 64%D 25%R 11%O
- Iberia: D 1957 R 2292 – 40.5%D 47.5R 12%O
- Jeff Davis: D 1127 R 1103 – 42.5%D 41.6R 16%O
- Lafayette: D 3915 R5312 – 35%D 48%R 17%O
- St. Landry: D 3013 R 1194 – 62%D 25%R 13%O
- St. Martin: D 2295 R 2061 – 46%D 41%R 13%O
- St. Mary: D 2007 R 2106 – 41%D 42%R 17%O
- Vermilion: D 1391 R 1438 – 41%D 43%R 16%O
By-Party totals, November 2017 election
- State: D 47285 R 36138 – 50%D 39%R 11%O
- Acadia: D 449 R 485 – 44%D 47%R 9%O
- Calcasieu: D 1367 R 1405 – 43.5%D 45%R 12%O
- Evangeline: D207 R 121 – 59%D 35%R 6%O
- Iberia: D 860 R 1206 – 37%D 52%R 11%O
- Jeff Davis: D 496 R421 – 48%D 42%R 11%O
- Lafayette: D 1156 R 1690 – 35%D 51%R 14%O
- St. Landry: D 647 R 315 – 62%D 30%R 8%O
- St. Martin: D 579 R559 – 51%D 49%R 10%O
- St. Mary: D 485 R 375 – 49%D 38%R 13%O
- Vermilion: D 352 R 352 – 46%D 46%D 8%O
The Secretary of State website has a lot of data on voting and voter registration. If you’d like to take a look at the numbers, click here and here.
