SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) –The contest to become the next mayor of Shreveport will be decided in the December 10 runoff, but how will voter turnout affect who will become the city’s next leader?
According to the secretary of state’s website, Shreveport’s five largest precincts voted in favor of Tom Arceneaux. Arceneaux said his team suspected the race would go that way and was pleased that it did.
“We thought we were going to run first, and we were pleased that what we thought came true. Now we are turning our attention to the runoff and figuring out what we need to do and how we need to get our message to more voters.” Tom Arceneaux said.
The precincts that include the neighborhoods of Cherokee Park and Southern Hills voted in favor of Senator Greg Tarver.
“The city of Shreveport, we have got to work together in unity to make Shreveport move forward. We must support each other, we must set our petty differences aside if you are a democrat or republican; it doesn’t matter. We are all Americans we need to vote for Shreveport, all of us together as one.” Tarver said.
In 2018, over 60,000 people voted in the regular election, and in the December mayoral runoff, only about 38,000 people voted; that’s a drop of 36%.
In this year’s election, over 51,000 people voted in the congressional primary election. If the turnout for the runoff remains around 32,000, that would mean 26% of Shreveport’s eligible voters could decide the city’s next mayor.
