As the upcoming citywide election draws nearer, nearly 16,000 people in New Orleans already made their candidate choices known through early voting-- including who they believe should sit on the City Council for the next four years.
"All of the council members are up for re-election and in some districts, it will be an open seat. So, that means voter interest will be high and higher in some council districts, than in other council districts," said political analyst Dr. Silas Lee.
If early voting turnout is any indication, the most intense interest in the City Council races is coming from two districts-- C, which encompasses Algiers and the French Quarter-- and E, which encompasses New Orleans East and the Lower Ninth Ward.
"We had a real significant concentration of votes both within Algiers and in New Orleans East," said demographer Greg Rigamer of GCR and Associates. "Now, we do have satellite voting locations in New Orleans East and in Algiers, which made it easier for people to vote and in many cases, easier than downtown because of the parking constraints [at City Hall]."
Here is a break down of the total number of early voters, by district:
District A-- 2,300
District B-- 2,100
District C-- 3,700
District D-- 3,600
District E-- 4,200
The lowest turnout came in District B, which stretches from the Garden District to Central City. By comparison, the number was double that in District E. Political analysts said the higher turnout there could be a reflection of what voters are going through.
"District E is still in the process of rebuilding," Dr. Lee said. "A lot of people are expressing anxiety and frustration with the future of District E."
So what do the district numbers mean for the At-Large council race, where voters can choose two candidates? More than a half-dozen candidates are running for those two slots, including current At-Large council members Arnie Fielkow and Jackie Clarkson and council member Cynthia Willard-Lewis. The highest early voting turnout came in District E, which Willard-Lewis currently represents on the council. However, the second highest turnout came in District C, where Clarkson lives and has a strong political base.
"In the At-Large, you can vote for two candidates, so it's really dicey to try to slice and dice these votes and say who got what vote," said Eyewitness News Political Analyst Clancy DuBos. "We'll find out on election night who got these votes-- because they will count."
Demographers expect more than 120,000 people to vote in the citywide election on Saturday. That would surpass the number of voters in the mayoral runoff election from 2006.
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