Why this Election is Important

Following the 2020 census, states will be required to redistrict based on census numbers. State legislators elected in October and November will determine Congressional and State district lines and, consequently, who has a voice in our government. These lines are subject to a veto by the governor. In the event that the legislature is unable to approve state legislative boundaries, the state supreme court must draw the lines.

It's critical to vote in the primaries because any candidate who gets 50%+ of the vote in the primary will win outright.

Dates to Know

  • EARLY VOTING: September 28 to October 5th
    • City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street
    • Algiers Courthouse, 225 Morgan Street
    • Voting Machine Warehouse, 8870 Chef Menteur Hwy
    • Lake Vista Community Center, 6500 Spanish Fort Blvd.
  • PRIMARY ELECTION: October 12th
  • GENERAL ELECTION: November 16th

Know Your Ballot

WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT
  • All state offices (including seats for Representatives and Senators)
  • Supreme Court Judge for District 1
  • Louisiana Board of Elementary & Secondary Education (BESE)
  • Four (4) Statewide Constitutional Amendments*

* For detailed analysis of the four amendments visit Public Affairs Research Council

RESOURCES FOR CASTING YOUR VOTE
  • Geaux Vote — We highly recommend visiting the site or downloading the app for personalized information about:
    • registering
    • where + when to vote
    • what is needed to be able to vote
    • what is on the current ballot
    • and much more!
  • Ballotpedia.org — type in your address to see your sample ballot, district maps, and candidate information.
  • BGR.org — The Bureau of Government Research has research on the four constitutional amendments
  • Power Coalition 2019 Legislator Scorecard  — The Power Coalition for Equity & Justice and their member organizations developed this scorecard to help Louisianans better evaluate their elected officials and hold them accountable.

The Four Constitutional Amendments on Your Ballot

Short, plain language versions crafted by Rachel Nicolosi and Val Uccellani, for NOW, LOVE.
For a Spanish translation by Lucia Jenni Hammer, click here.
 
Each of the Constitutional Amendments on your October 12th ballot is described briefly, below. For more information, including arguments for and against, visit PAR Guide to the 2019 Constitutional Amendments. 

1 > Tax Exemptions for Stored Materials Going to the Outer Continental Shelf
Proposes that items traveling through Louisiana to offshore would be exempt from property taxes. (Currently there are no taxes on items that travel between states, but there is no clear ruling about items going offshore. The exemption would apply to materials such as tools and equipment used for offshore drilling.)
 
2 > Education Excellence Fund
Proposes to add three schools and Louisiana Education Television Authority to the list of entities eligible for the state’s Education Excellence Fund. (These were omitted as an oversight and one school is new since the beginning of the fund legislation.)
3 > Remedy for Unconstitutional Tax Paid
Proposes that the state’s Board of Tax Appeals be allowed to decide constitutional tax issues. (Currently only the courts rule on constitutional issues and this may reduce delays and costs in tax disputes. Members of the Board of Tax Appeals are appointed by elected officials.)

 
4 > New Orleans Property Tax Exemptions for Affordable Housing
Proposes tax relief for some homeowners and developers who agree to rent their property for affordable prices. (Currently, only the state has authority to grant these tax exemptions. This amendment would shift control to the city, and require them to absorb any loss of revenue.)

Volunteer to Protect the Vote on Election Day

VOLUNTEER AS A NON-PARTISAN POLL MONITOR WITH ELECTION PROTECTION
The Election Protection Coalition is mobilizing thousands of volunteers to help our fellow Americans navigate the voting process and cast their votes without obstruction, confusion, or intimidation.

As a nonpartisan volunteer poll monitor, you will assist voters on Election Day should they encounter any problems voting.

Volunteers commit to taking at least one Election Day shift outside of assigned polling location after receiving training.
VOLUNTEER WITH LA DEMOCRATS VOTER PROTECTION TEAM
We know we’ll have close elections up and down the ticket and protecting the right to vote is going to be critically important this year.

We need your help to ensure that every voter in the Pelican State has the chance to cast their ballot and get it counted.

We need you to help us out by either working as a poll watcher on Election Day at a precinct in your parish and making sure voting happens smoothly, or by answering voter hotline calls at our voter hotline in Baton Rouge.

Projecting Our Values

Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, NOW LOVErs gathered at various buildings downtown to project large scale messages asking viewers:
Believe in Justice + Equity?
Believe in Anti-Racism + Inclusion?
Believe in Honesty + Respect?
Believe in Integrity?
“The values of this network are who I am- and when I'm not, it's who I aspire to be.  To have them projected throughout the city ... gave me a greater sense of worth and belonging,” said Chita Manuel, NOW LOVE member. We hope that these projections will inspire others to vote their values in the 2019 elections.

“I am exhausted from the ‘Us’ versus ‘Them’ mentality of our current political dialogue,” said NOW, LOVE member Annie LaRock. “I appreciate our NOW LOVE focus on values, because we can connect with others around the ideals we have in common.”

Petrice Sams-Abiodun reflected that the projections were an opportunity, “to engage others in our community in connecting to what really unites us, our values. Voting our values is important now more than ever given the current political, social and economic climate.”

Postcards to Voters

Postcards to Voters are "friendly, handwritten reminders from volunteers to targeted voters giving Democrats a winning edge in close, key races coast to coast." You can do this yourself by registering through postcardstovoters.org. Whether you host a postcard potluck or send a few every day, this is an easy way to encourage folk in key states to 'get out the vote'!