Louisianans turned out in large numbers for early voting two weeks before the presidential election, with a 10 percent increase from 2020. People of all ages and backgrounds, from blue-collar workers to stay-at-home parents, were seen in queues to cast their ballots. Reasons for early voting ranged from wanting to teach children the importance of voting to avoiding crowds on Election Day.
Some voters, like Leah and Matt Couvillion, brought their children to the polls to show them the significance of participating in democracy. Others, like Jim Apollonio, wanted to relieve the pressure of deciding who to vote for. For first-time voters Emily Little and Jadon Nelams, the priority was making sure they had time to vote for their chosen candidate, Donald Trump.
Other voters, like Kelly Britton, wanted to ensure nothing would prevent them from voting. For Zoe Klein, early voting was simply fulfilling her civic duty as a citizen. Lynn Traylor considered the 2024 presidential election the most important of her lifetime and was excited to cast her ballot for a woman, Kamala Harris.
Trey and Brittany Milton voted early as they would be out of town on Election Day, echoing the sentiment that this was a crucial election. Despite the varied reasons for early voting, many agreed that the contest between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was a pivotal moment for the nation’s future.
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