Polls close in Louisiana with no major upsets

ELECTION RESULTS BY PARISH - INTERACTIVE MAP OF LOUISIANA ELECTIONS - INTERACTIVE MAP OF NATIONAL ELECTIONS

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Polls in Louisiana closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 8). View election results parish-by-parish here.

Sen. John Kennedy, Reps. Steve Scalise and Troy Carter cruise to re-election in Louisiana congressional races.

Congresswoman Julia Letlow will continue on in her late husband’s honor, winning re-election in Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. Congressman Garret Graves has won re-election in Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District.

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Some races could be decided on Nov. 8 but some likely won’t, due to the state’s unique “jungle” primary. Under this system, all candidates, regardless of party, run against each other on the same ballot. If no one candidate tops 50% in that primary, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff in December.

A Dec. 10 runoff will decide races where no single candidate gained more than 50% of the vote.

Most of Louisiana has voted in person on Election Day. But the percentage who vote early has been steadily increasing, topping 45% in 2020. Most of those early votes are cast in person, though the mail-in vote has been steadily increasing.

The state has placed a number of restrictions on mail-in voting. People can vote absentee if they are unable to vote in person on Election Day, but an excuse is required. Permanent absentee status is available to the elderly and the permanently disabled. Notary and/or witness signature is required with a returned mail/absentee ballot. In 2020, about 8% of the votes came through mail-in ballots.

Democrats tend to do well in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but Louisiana is considered a red state. In both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, the Democratic candidate won only 10 of the state’s 64 parishes. Trump won the state with 58% of the vote in both contests.

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