With Election Day fast approaching, college students must decide who and what to cast their ballots for.
Donald J. Trump will appear on the Republican presidential bid alongside his vice presidential running mate “JD” Vance.
Current Vice President Kamala Harris will represent the Democrats on the ballot as their nomination for president, partnering with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Several other third-party candidates will be on the presidential election ballot, including Jill Stein of the Green Party and Chase Oliver of the Libertarian Party. Despite dropping out of the presidential race, Robert F. Kennedy will remain on the ballot in Louisiana.
Besides the presidential race, potential congress members will fight for seats in the House of Representatives.
Residents of Ouachita Parish will vote for different representatives based on their place of residence. Voters living in Monroe will select the representative of the 5th congressional district, while those in the surrounding areas will choose members for the 4th district.
House Speaker Mike Johnson will run for reelection to represent Louisiana’s 4th congressional district, facing opposition from Republican candidate Joshua Morrott.
The 5th congressional district representative position is up for grabs between three candidates: the incumbent Republican Julia Letlow, Republican M.V. “Vinny” Mendoza and Democrat Michael Vallien, Jr.
In addition to governmental positions, voters will choose YES or NO on a proposed amendment to the Louisiana Constitution.
The statute reads, “Do you support an amendment to require that federal revenues received by the state generated from Outer Continental Shelf alternative or renewable energy production be deposited into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund?”
Assistant Professor of Political Science Jennifer Dumas explains the potential benefits and pitfalls of the proposed amendment.
“On one hand, this would primarily benefit coastal residents of the state and divert money from the general fund, which could otherwise be spent on a number of different things,” Dumas said. “But on the other hand, this would help offset the diminishing money from the oil spill settlement, which currently goes to combat coastal erosion and flooding risks and help the state meet its budget needs related to coastal erosion efforts.”
The polls will be reopened in Louisiana on Election Day (Nov. 5) from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.