Feature
October
28
Election Day: Know What’s On Your Ballot
Compiled by Mary Downer
In case you have been living under a rock, it’s election time again! Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, and in Louisiana we have a lot on our ballots. We will be voting for everything from Lieutenant Governor, to U.S. Senator, to a long list of constitutional amendments. In order to be a well-educated voter, it is important that you are familiar with what you are voting on before you cast your ballot. What follows is a simple guide to voting, where to get vital information and an un-biased look at the proposed amendments. Please, remember to vote. It is our duty. It is our voice. Vote!
Know Where You Vote
There are several ways to confirm your voting location. You can check your voter registration card or call your local registrar of voter’s office and ask. You can also check online at www.geauxvote.com. In the center of the main page, click on the link that says “Are you a voter?” This will bring you to the Secretary of State’s webpage. It contains links for almost every question a person could have. The 15th item on the list is “Find your Precinct/Polling Place.” Click here and you will be directed to a page to look-up your info. Click on the first and easiest one, “By Voter.” Enter in your first and last name and either your date of birth or your zip code and click “Select.” This process brings you to your own personal voter information page. At the top of this page, you should see your name, your party, parish, ward/precinct and voter status. This is the information that the Secretary of State has on file for you. Above where it shows your parish, there is a link that says “Voter Information.” When you click this link, it takes you to a list of frequently asked questions. Scroll down until you see the question, under Election Day voting, “Where Do I Vote?” This page will list the exact location where you need to go to vote. Be sure to bring with you a picture identification card, like your driver’s license. Voting hours are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Know What is on Your Ballot
- Everyone in Louisiana can vote for the public offices of Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senator.
- Residents of the 3rd Congressional District will also vote for a U.S. Representative.
- You will also be able to vote for a series of proposed constitutional amendments. Louisiana leads the nation in the number of constitutions and amendments adopted. The process of amending our constitution requires a two-thirds vote by members of both houses of the Legislature and approval by a majority of voters in a statewide election.
These amendments are about a wide variety of state and local issues that are very technical in their wording. Topics include property taxes, property rights, elected officials’ pay, severance taxes, public pension benefits, workers’ compensation claims and criminal trial procedures.
Each of the amendments here is broken down to explain what a vote “FOR” and what a vote “AGAINST” means. These come from the Public Affairs Research Council (P.A.R.). P.A.R. is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan public policy research organization focused on pointing the way toward a more efficient, effective, transparent and accountable Louisiana government. P.A.R. was founded in 1950 and is a 501c3 tax-exempt organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations.
Amendment 1
Timing of Salary Increases for Elected Officials
FOR- a vote for would require that an increase in the salary of statewide elected officials, public service commissioners or legislators could not take effect until the beginning of the next term after the increase was approved.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to allow an increase in the salary of statewide elected officials, public service commissioners or legislators to take effect at any time, including during the term of the legislator who voted for the increase.
Amendment 2
Severance Tax Allocations
FOR- a vote for would dedicate additional state severance tax revenue to parishes or origin, restrict the use of a portion of these funds and dedicate a potion of severance taxes collected on state lands to the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund.
AGAINST- a vote against would maintain the limit on severance tax revenue that must be paid by the state to parishes at $850,000 per year, adjusted annually for inflation.
Amendment 3
Homestead Exemption for Disabled Veterans
FOR- a vote for would give each parish governing authority the option to call an election on whether to double the homestead exemption available to veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 100 percent and certain surviving spouses.
AGAINST- a vote against would maintain the current homestead exemption ($7500 of assessed value) for all homeowners and provide no additional exemption for veterans.
Amendment 4
Property Tax Millage Rate Increases by Non-elected Bodies
FOR- a vote for would limit the property tax millage increase (roll-up) that certain taxing bodies, whose members are not all elected, could impose following a mandatory millage decrease (roll- back) due to reassessment. The millage adjustment could not increase taxes more than 2.5 percent above the amount collected the previous year.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to allow all local taxing bodies to roll a millage back up to the previous maximum authorized rate, following a mandatory reassessment roll-back.
Amendment 5
Post-Disaster Occupancy Grace Period
FOR- a vote for would allow homeowners displaced by disaster to apply for a second five-year extension on their special assessment levels and homestead exemptions if they are unable to reoccupy their homes due to a pending appeal on damage claims.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to allow a single five-year period in which homeowners displaced by a disaster could reoccupy their homes before they lose their special assessment levels and homestead exemptions.
Amendment 6
Legislative Votes for Retirement Benefit Changes
FOR- a vote for would require simple- majority legislative approval for changes to benefit provisions of any public retirement system subject to legislative authority, and would require two-thirds legislative approval when the proposed change has an actuarial cost.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to allow certain retirement systems to change benefit provisions for their members without legislative approval, and would continue to allow the Legislature to increase the benefits for members of state and statewide public retirement systems with a simple majority vote.
Amendment 7
Tax Sales for Delinquent Property Taxes
FOR- a vote for would change the bidding rules for tax sale auctions and would allow tax collectors to charge additional penalties for the nonpayment of property taxes.
AGAINST- a vote against would maintain the current bidding process and would continue to exclude certain charges from the list of delinquent amounts that can be recovered through a tax sale.
Amendment 8
Sale of Expropriated Property
FOR- a vote for would remove the requirement that public authorities first offer expropriated property for re-sale to its prior owner before the property can be sold to a third party if the property was taken to remove a threat to public health or safety and was held for 30 years or less.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to grant the right of first refusal to former owners of property taken to remove a threat to public health or safety when it has been held for 30 years or less.
Amendment 9
Judgement of Workers’ Compensation Claims
FOR- a vote for would require that under certain circumstances, workers’ compensation cases be reargued before a panel of five or more appellate judges prior to the reversal or modification of an administrative agency’s decision.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to allow administrative agency decisions in workers’ compensation claims to be reversed or modified with only a majority vote of a panel of three appellate judges.
Amendment 10
Waivers of Jury Trials for Criminal Defendants
FOR- a vote for would allow criminal defendants to waive their right to a jury trial in non-capital cases only if the waiver was made at least 45 days prior to the beginning of trial and would provide that once the waiver was made, it could not be revoked.
AGAINST- a vote against would continue to allow criminal defendants to waive their right to a jury trial in non-capital cases without any time restriction and would remain silent as to whether such a waiver could later be revoked.
For a more detailed version of the amendments here, please see P.A.R.’s website at www.la-par.org/guide_amend.cfm.
