(The Center Square) — The Louisiana secretary of state’s office has released the turnout of early voters, totaling 969,362.
According to the data, Republican turnout outpaced Democrat turnout 433,302 to 349,162, with 186,898 voters described as “other.” The 2024 numbers reflect an astounding shift in favor of the Republican party. In 2020, Democrat turnout outpaced Republican early turnout by 67,869 votes. As of Nov. 3, Republican early turnout has outpaced Democrat turnout by 84,140.
In the largest parishes, East Baton Rouge, Orleans, Jefferson, Lafayette, and Ascension have led in voter turnout, contributing significantly to the statewide totals.
In East Baton Rouge Parish, overall early voter turnout decreased slightly from 100,304 in 2020 to 94,334 in 2024. The racial demographics shifted slightly, with 54,697 white voters and 35,267 Black voters in 2024, down from 55,625 and 39,392 respectively in 2020.
Male turnout also dipped, from 40,475 to 38,234, while female voters remained the majority at 55,941, down from 59,692. Republicans saw gains here, with their numbers rising from 31,548 in 2020 to 33,940, while Democratic turnout dropped from 50,494 to 42,222.
Orleans Parish maintained robust Democratic turnout, but there were declines in total voters, dropping from 101,212 in 2020 to 79,359 in 2024. The parish’s Black voter participation fell sharply, with only 44,502 Black voters this cycle compared to 53,654 in 2020.
This year, Democrats represented a substantial portion of early voters (56,850), although down from 73,902 in 2020. Republican turnout increased modestly, reaching 7,628 from 8,101 in 2020.
In Jefferson Parish, a traditionally competitive area, early voting rose significantly from 73,033 in 2020 to 89,786 in 2024. White voters increased to 58,326 from 43,342, while Black voters remained steady at around 23,000. Male turnout increased to 36,281, up from 28,983, and female turnout was also up to 53,451.
Notably, Republicans saw increased participation, with 34,943 early votes in 2024, compared to 22,733 in 2020, while Democrats saw slight gains from 35,245 to 35,051.
Lafayette Parish saw a similar Republican surge, with total early voting increasing from 49,161 in 2020 to 55,343 in 2024. White voter turnout rose to 43,361 from 34,971, and Republican turnout increased significantly, reaching 28,646 from 20,638 in 2020. Democratic participation dropped from 18,567 to 15,229.
Ascension Parish recorded minimal changes, with total early turnout shifting slightly from 34,443 in 2020 to 35,066 in 2024. Republican participation rose from 15,095 in 2020 to 17,079 in 2024, while Democratic turnout saw a slight decline.
