Louisiana Midterm Election Guide: Races, Candidates, and Constitutional Amendments

The Final Hours of Early Voting

Early voting for the November 3rd Louisiana midterm elections officially closes on October 27th. Voters across the state have been weighing not only competitive congressional and legislative races but also a massive slate of 10 constitutional amendments alongside crucial local governance questions.

The early returns have shown a notably strong Democratic turnout across Louisiana, surpassing the numbers seen in the previous 2022 midterm election. This surge has altered the baseline expectations for contests like the closely watched U.S. Senate race, where Democrat Jamie Davis is mounting a challenge against Trump-backed Julia Letlow. Despite strong early momentum on the Democratic side, recent polling dating back to mid-September indicates that Letlow maintains a four-point lead.

Deciding the Congressional Map

All 6 of Louisiana’s congressional districts are up for a vote, featuring incumbents including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise in District 1, Troy Carter in District 2, Clay Higgins in District 3, and House Speaker Mike Johnson in District 4. Current projections point to Districts 1-4 being decided on Nov. 3rd, provided a candidate clears the necessary 50 percent threshold.

House majority leader steve scalise r la speaks during a news conference at the capitol tuesday may in washington photorod la

Meanwhile, Districts 5-6 are likely to result in runoffs due to the number of candidates in the race. To find specific ward and precinct details, voters can use a sample ballot for their parish/ward/precinct.

Ten Ways to Change the Constitution

Louisiana voters have the opportunity to change the constitution in 10 separate ways on November 3rd. Steven Procopio, President of the Public Affairs Research Council, broke down the mechanics of these measures, highlighting how they range from criminal justice restrictions to property tax adjustments.

Among the items is Amendment 7, which would authorize the use of public funds to identify, inventory, remove, or replace certain water lines. This push stems from the EPA.

The amendment would say the government can spend money on people’s water lines that run water from the street to their house. The push for this is coming from the EPA, which says in the next 10 years you have to get rid of all lead pipes. This is not a cheap thing to do, and homeowners may not have the money to do it… And so to avoid fines or losing potential grant money from the EPA, you would have jurisdictions that want to be able to spend taxpayer money on trying to help people replace their lead pipes.

— Steven Procopio, President of the Public Affairs Research Council

Other measures tackle fiscal policy and public safety. Amendment 2 addresses property tax millage rollback rules, while Amendment 3 prohibits release on bail for defendants who have been convicted of certain offenses against a child, removing the ability in the Constitution for that person to get any kind of bail. Amendment 8 moves to block companies owned by foreign adversaries—including Cuba, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the Regime of Nicolas Maduro—from expropriating property in Louisiana.

New Orleans Budget Oversight

In the New Orleans Metro Area, voters are also confronting local structural changes. JP Morrell proposed an amendment that, if passed, would require any city department with expenditures that exceed the adopted budget to get approval from the City Council.

As early voting shuts its doors, the remaining question rests entirely on whether the high initial turnout will translate into decisive margins on November 3rd or set the stage for a flurry of December runoffs.