Current:Home > ScamsLouisiana reshapes primary system for congressional elections-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Louisiana reshapes primary system for congressional elections
View Date:2024-12-24 07:52:09
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill that will change the state’s election process for certain primary races, including Congress and the state Supreme Court.
Candidates will now participate in a party primary with the winner of the Democratic primary and the Republican primary going on to face each other in the general election. Candidates without party affiliations will automatically advance to the general election if they meet qualifying requirements that include fees and petitions.
This is a change from the state’s unique “jungle primary” when all candidates run on the same ballot regardless of their party affiliation. In a jungle primary, voters can choose any candidate, even if they do not align with the voters’ registered party.
During a jungle primary, if one candidate earns more than 50% of the vote, then they win the job outright. If not, then the top two vote-getters go to a runoff — which can pit two Republicans or two Democrats against one another. The jungle primary system will remain in place for certain elections, including legislative, local and statewide positions — among them being governor, secretary of state and attorney general.
Under the Legislature-approved bill, unaffiliated voters will be able to vote in whichever party primary they choose.
The new primary system, which will not go into effect until 2026, would only apply to primary elections for Congress, Louisiana’s Supreme Court, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana’s Public Service Commission, an obscure but powerful five-member commission that regulates the state’s public utility companies and energy sector and sets electric rates, among other oversight powers.
The legislation, which now heads to Gov. Jeff Landry’s desk for final signature, has been heavily amended from the original proposal that barred unaffiliated voters from participating in the primary unless they registered with the Democratic or Republican party or if one of those parties choose to let them participate. That proposal sparked criticism, with opponents fearing that the bill would alienate nearly 27% of the state’s voters who are not a registered Republicans or Democrats.
The shift in Louisiana’s primary system is one of Landry’s first legislative pushes as governor. The Republican, who took office last week, described Louisiana’s jungle primary as a “relic of the past, which has left us (Louisiana) dead last.”
Proponents of the closed primary argued that it is only fair to let registered party voters pick who their party nominee will be. Additionally, they pointed out that the current system can force Louisiana’s congressional elections to be decided in a December runoff — a month later than the rest of the country — leading to newly elected members often missing orientation sessions where committee assignments are negotiated, people build relationships and offices are assigned.
Opponents say the primary change will cause mass voter confusion and is an unnecessary allocation of millions of dollars that could be better used to address crime, invest in education and repair roads and bridges.
They also repeatedly asked why this issue was coming up now — not only during a limited special session, but when there hasn’t been a wave of complaints or debate from the public or politicians in recent years.
“The gravity of this legislation, and the lack of thoroughness and time that we have had to debate this legislation is troubling,” Democratic Sen. Royce Duplessis said during Friday. “If this was a real issue for the people of Louisiana, we would have heard about it.”
veryGood! (5341)
Related
- Exclusive Yankee Candle Sale: 50% Off Holiday Candles for a Limited Time
- New York officials to release new renderings of possible Gilgo Beach victim
- 2024 Emmys: Why Fans Are Outraged Over The Bear Being Classified as a Comedy
- John Leguizamo celebrates diverse Emmy winners, nominees with emotional speech
- DWTS' Gleb Savchenko Shares Why He Ended Brooks Nader Romance Through Text Message
- Ulta & Sephora Flash Sales: 50% Off Coola Setting Spray, Stila Eyeshadow, Osea Night Cream & $11.50 Deals
- Florida sheriff's deputy airlifted after rollover crash with alleged drunk driver
- DEA shutting down two offices in China even as agency struggles to stem flow of fentanyl chemicals
- Jimmy Kimmel, more late-night hosts 'shocked' by Trump Cabinet picks: 'Goblins and weirdos'
- Disney trips meant for homeless students went to NYC school employees’ kids, officials say
Ranking
- Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date
- Tito Jackson, member of the Jackson 5, has died at 70, his sons say
- The Coast Guard will hear from former OceanGate employees about the Titan implosion
- Lawsuit says Alabama voter purge targets naturalized citizens
- Kendall Jenner Is Back to Being a Brunette After Ditching Blonde Hair
- Child trapped between boulders for 9 hours rescued by firefighters in New Hampshire
- Storm nearing Carolinas threatens area with up to 10 inches of rain, possible flooding
- 2024 Emmys: Why Fans Are Outraged Over The Bear Being Classified as a Comedy
Recommendation
-
NBC's hospital sitcom 'St. Denis Medical' might heal you with laughter: Review
-
Oregon tribe sues over federal agency plans to hold an offshore wind energy auction
-
Powerball winning numbers for September 14: Jackpot climbs to $152 million
-
The trial date for the New Orleans mayor’s ex-bodyguard has been pushed back to next summer
-
All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
-
New York officials to release new renderings of possible Gilgo Beach victim
-
Martin Sheen, more 'West Wing' stars reunite on Oval Office set at Emmys
-
How Sister Wives Addressed Garrison Brown’s Death in Season Premiere