Early voting has officially ended in Louisiana, and Red River Parish is drawing national attention for a significant shift in Black voter participation ahead of the November 3 election.

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s latest figures, 1,138 ballots had been recorded in Red River Parish as of October 28, including 966 in-person early votes and 172 absentee ballots received.

Red River Parish Ranks No. 1 in National Early Voting Snapshot

Red River Parish attracted attention after an October 23 analysis from TargetSmart showed the parish ranked first nationally for the largest increase in the percentage of early and absentee ballots cast by Black voters compared with the same point in the 2022 midterm election.

According to that snapshot, Black voters accounted for 55.80% of early and absentee ballots in Red River Parish, compared with 24.76% at the same point in 2022. That represents an increase of 31.04 percentage points.

The distinction is important: The ranking reflects an increase in Black voters’ share of ballots cast, not a 31% increase in the total number of Black voters.

The October 23 ranking was a snapshot taken before early voting ended. A final national ranking has not yet been confirmed.

Early Voting Surges Across Louisiana

Red River Parish was not alone in seeing strong voter participation.

Statewide, election officials had recorded 524,346 early and absentee ballots through October 28, including 448,586 in-person votes and 75,760 absentee ballots.

By comparison, Louisiana recorded 377,428 early and absentee ballots during the 2022 midterm election, putting this year’s statewide participation approximately 39% higher, even before all absentee ballots have been received.

Local School Board Races Add Interest

Red River Parish voters also have several important local decisions to make, including three contested School Board races.

District 3 voters will choose among Jacob Caldwell, Stephen Giddens and Rachal Henry.

In District 4, candidates are Alvester Barfield, Sharon Jenkins and Alan Miller.

District 5 voters will select between Kenneth Bradley and Monique McDuffy-Jones.

Five of the seven School Board seats will have new members following this election because of term limits. Melinda Hardy in District 1 and Reginald Prealow in District 6 are returning unopposed, while Renee Hester in District 2 and Joey Miller in District 7 will take office without opposition.

The local races give parish residents an opportunity to help shape the future of education in Red River Parish.

Election Day Is Tuesday, November 3

For those who have not voted, polls will be open Tuesday, November 3, from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The deadline for registrars to receive absentee ballots is Monday, November 2, at 4:30 p.m., with exceptions for military and overseas voters.

With early voting complete and Election Day just days away, Red River Parish residents have already demonstrated considerable interest in this year’s election. The final turnout will not be known until Election Day ballots and remaining absentee votes are counted.

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