ElectionsWednesday, November 4
Two federal election observers visited Lafayette Parish polls on Election Day
The Today in Lafayette team
If you voted in Lafayette Parish on Tuesday, you weren't the only one making the rounds. The Justice Department sent monitors to polling sites in all 50 states, and two of them visited Lafayette Parish to watch for voter intimidation and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
Justice Department monitors covered all 50 states
- 1,000
- monitors sent to polling sites nationwide
- 50
- states with monitors
- 2
- observers Perret met in Lafayette Parish
Sources: The Advocate, nola.com
Clerk of Court Louis Perret met the two at Lafayette High School in the morning. In Louisiana, monitors wore plainclothes and mostly observed and asked election administrators about their training, local officials said. "They're just observing; they're not interfering or stopping or challenging," Perret told The Current.
- Also visited: New Orleans and Baton Rouge polling sites
- Polls stayed open until 8 p.m. Tuesday
- Possible turnout bump: 4% over the last midterm, Perret said
Perret said it's the first time he's seen federal monitors in Lafayette in his 20-plus years handling elections. Turnout, he said, was unofficially around 17.5% by 2 p.m.
Lafayette Parish turnout hit about 17.5% by 2 p.m.
17.5%Unofficial turnout by 2 p.m. Tuesday
Source: The Current
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Unofficial turnout by 2 p.m. Tuesday | 17.5% |
Sources: The Advocate, nola.com, The Current, KATC