BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana’s new closed primary system for the U.S. Senate race caused confusion and delays at polling locations across the state Saturday—especially for voters registered with no party affiliation, who had to fill out a form at the polls choosing whether to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary.
In East Baton Rouge Parish, poll worker Denisa Joshua said the new process has been a challenge for both voters and workers. “This is a change. We’ve never had to work it this way before. And yes, it is confusing,” Joshua said. “Hopefully, by the next election, it will be worked out… I’d like to see the kinks worked out for sure.”
Under the new system, voters registered as Republicans could only vote in the GOP primary, which includes incumbent Sen. Bill Cassidy, along with three other Republican candidates: Julia Letlow, John Fleming, and Mark Spencer. Letlow has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Voters registered as Democrats could only vote in the Democratic primary, choosing from Nick Albares, Gary Crockett, and Jamie Davis.
In an article in The Advocate, reporter Tyler Bridges reported elections commissioners across Louisiana saw delays throughout the day as poll workers explained the new rules to “no party” voters and helped them complete the required form. Bridges reported those unaffiliated voters had to decide at the polling place whether they wanted to vote in the Democratic primary or the Republican primary—and they could only choose one.
In Lafayette Parish, Bridges reported Clerk of Court Louis Perret said one election commissioner was so frustrated she went home for lunch Saturday and did not return.
Cassidy’s campaign also spoke out about the confusion late Saturday afternoon, saying unaffiliated voters faced barriers when trying to cast ballots in the GOP primary. In a statement, the campaign said, “As Louisianans vote today, it’s becoming crystal clear that No Party voters are facing a disjointed, difficult process to actually cast a vote in the GOP primary.”
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