The general election on November 18 became a record breaker. Voter turnout for an off-year election meant far fewer issues to draw people to the polls. Caddo Parish Clerk of Court Mike Spence says a typical turnout for an election of this kind is 30 to 40 percent. But he says the election on November 18 only had, in round figures, about 20 percent.
Spence says he knows why voter turnout should not be this low. “Early voting now is much easier now. We have two early voting locations that the registrar of voters run[s]. We have one in south Shreveport at the Hamilton Branch Library. We have one downtown. Parking’s [sic] easier downtown than it used to be. So, you have two available spots with many machines. So, you can get in and out fast.”
Spence adds that low voter turnout was seen statewide [23%]. Specifically, Caddo Parish turnout reached 28.7%, while Bossier Parish saw a 17.3% [according to figures provided by the Louisiana Secretary of State election office]. and that the low numbers extend to the number of poll workers. “I actually ran billboards requesting people to sign up to be election commissioners because that’s the number one problem we’re having.” Voter apathy is seen by many as a corrosive element in a democracy, which, when left unchecked, can fester into something far more serious and potentially destabilizing.
Shreveport attorney and political analyst Royal Alexander sees voter apathy as a symptom of a much larger problem. “It has been my feeling for years that people feel disconnected from their government at every level, at every level. In fact, the smaller the race probably the more interest there is. So, I don’t exactly know what to attribute that to. I think maybe people don’t have quite the same confidence in government.” Alexander says voter apathy is a tough thing to witness when you consider the history of the United States and all the sacrifices made to guarantee our right to vote. “Even a quick glance at American history reminds us that over a million people fought and died for these rights, including our fundamental right to vote. So, we really are neglecting, I think, our civic obligation.” Voter turnout is expected to be far higher in next year’s 2024 Presidential election. In the 2020 election turnout reached 66%.
To offer some context on what Americans are really thinking about politically, there is a revealing new study that discovered 65% of Americans say they always, or often, feel exhausted when thinking about Politics. The study, conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals widespread discontent. According to study results, just four percent of U.S. adults say the political system is working extremely, or very, well. About six in ten Americans express little, if any, confidence at all in the future of the U.S. political system. Nearly 30 percent of the public dislikes both political parties, the highest level in the last three decades. And finally, Pew Center researchers also found that three in every ten Americans point to politicians as the biggest problem with our system of government.
