New Orleans Educated Voter’s Guide

Why Vote?

Voting is one of the most crucial elements of American democracy and citizenship. However, despite the historic efforts to expand voting rights to BIPOC, women, and citizens of at least 18 years of age, lack of voting participation is still a major issue in America today. According to the US Census Bureau, roughly 33% of eligible voters did not participate in the 2020 presidential election. Voter turnout is typically much lower for local elections: Pew Research Center reporting estimates that only 46% of registered voters participated in the 2022 midterm elections.

There are many factors that influence low voter turnout, including a lack of access to registration and voting information, a lack of organized information related to major political issues, the inaccessibility of many voting locations, and the fact that election days are not federally-recognized holidays. These factors prevent many middle- and lower-class voters from participating on Election Day. Additionally, local elections tend to occur further away from national election dates and generally receive less coverage from larger news outlets due to their smaller scale.

Who Is This Guide For?

With this guide, we want to highlight valuable resources, key issues, tips, and other information for all Louisianians who want to take part in the voting process. Whether you’ve never voted before and want to start with this year’s elections or you’ve been looking for a comprehensive voting resource for Louisiana residents, this free guide is for you.

The term “climate change” is used to describe long-term shifts in a regional or global climate. These changes occur in temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns. Although climate change is a natural phenomenon, greenhouse gas emissions from manmade industries have impacted the climate as early as the beginning of the last century.

In New Orleans, a city that is no stranger to warm and extreme weather, residents are already subject to the effects of climate change with a decrease in air quality, marsh fires, extreme heat days, vectors (insects that spread diseases), and land loss and flooding from rising water levels in the Gulf of Mexico. While these detrimental changes affect many residents of south Louisiana, they disproportionately affect Black communities and Indigenous communities.

The City of New Orleans has taken steps to curb climate change by implementing plans such as Mayor Landrieu’s 2017 Climate Action for a Resilient New Orleans, which sets up an annual plan to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 50% by 2030. Mayor Cantrell’s administration published a new report with the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Organizations like the Foundation for Louisiana and the Greater New Orleans Foundation help to create conversations on resilient and sustainable development for the region in partnership with government officials.

As a voter, you can:

• Vote for local politicians who not only support environmental justice but have policies in place that can be put into immediate action if they are voted into office.
• Contact local politicians to let them know your stances on the issues directly impacting New Orleans.
• Contact local politicians to ask if they are in support of environmental initiatives, such as Net Zero by 2050: A Priority List for Climate Action in New Orleans, and if they aren’t, create a dialogue geared towards why it matters.
• Inform others on the issues so that they too can get involved.

As a Resident, You Can:

• Commit to recycling paper and plastics #1 (soda and water bottles) and #2 (milks, juice, shampoo, and detergent containers).
  • To request a recycling bin, residents should call 311 between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm, Monday-Friday, or visit nola311.org.
• Participate in Glass Half Full, an organization that turns recycled glass into sand for coastal restoration and disaster relief.
• Limit the use of plastic and garbage acquired from the grocery store.
• Buy groceries from sources that are environmentally friendly, like farmers and farmers’ markets. Check out Crescent City Farmers Market’s schedule!

Healthcare has long been a key issue in both local and federal elections. Access to quality healthcare services is essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle while managing and preventing disease, aiding with disabilities, and preventing any premature deaths.

Across the state of Louisiana, there’s a shortage of primary care physicians despite the fact that Louisiana exceeds the rates of the national average for deaths in the top five leading causes of death. These include: heart disease, cancer, accidents, chronic lower respiratory disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Black Louisiana residents lead other races in deaths caused by heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular diseases, and diabetes. Both Black and Hispanic residents in Louisiana far outnumber white residents in new diagnoses of HIV/AIDS.

As a voter, you can:

• Educate yourself on how your area is impacted by current healthcare conditions.
• Vote for local and federal officials that represent the values you hold regarding healthcare.
• Research the current local and federal proposals to policy changes.

As a resident, you can:

• Donate to your local Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
• Participate in local blood drives.
• Stay up to date on your vaccinations and health appointments.
• Wear a mask or stay home when feeling sick.
• Hold/participate in fundraising events.
• Volunteer at your local community health center.

Although New Orleans is a vibrant, culturally rich city, it also currently ranks third in states with the highest poverty rate. Low minimum wage, lack of resources for children in school, and barriers that restrict Louisianians from basic necessities all contribute to a high poverty rate that disproportionately affects the Black community in the state. Furthermore, the disparities the state faces are caused by the policy decisions made by the people we elect to office. Educating oneself on these issues and voting for policies you support can help increase living conditions for all Louisianians.

According to the United States Census, the national average for poverty was 11.8% in 2018. In 2022, 18.6% of Louisiana residents lived below the poverty line. Louisiana’s poverty rate was 2nd highest in the nation. In 2022, the percentage of the Black population living in poverty was 29.4%, compared to just 12.8% in the white population. Furthermore, more than 24% of Louisiana’s children live in poverty, that means 1 in 4 children in the state are growing up in poverty.

As a voter, you can:

• Vote for politicians who support income equality, and have policies in place to ensure that the disparities among Louisianians will be immediately addressed once in office.
• Contact local politicians and voice your opinion and importance of addressing poverty in the state of Louisiana.
• Understand ways to lift families out of poverty, such as: ensuring that Louisiana’s workers get their fair share of the state’s prosperity through a raised minimum wage, investing in children through an increase of school funding, or creating a comprehensive plan for paid leave.
• Research statistics from U.S. census data or other reports to fully understand the disparities and racial barriers within the state.

As a resident, you can:

• Encourage voter participation through more polling locations in impoverished areas, ensuring everybody is represented.
• Donate to local organizations that work to fight poverty and income equality (Thrive New Orleans, Daughters Beyond Incarceration, the LOHM).
• Participate and donate to local food drives and food banks to help end hunger (Culture Aid NOLA, Second Harvest Food Bank).
• Inform and engage in meaningful conversations with others so they can also make change.

Protests in 2020 such as the Women’s movement, LGBTQIA+ movement and the Black Lives Matter movement have brought exposure to the human rights issues that are still present in today’s society. Black Lives Matter has continued to use their platform to protest the perpetual violence inflicted on Black people and communities. The movement has many initiatives, and is encouraging communities to get involved with local Community Safety Working Groups around the country.

The Black community of New Orleans makes up the highest percentage of the city’s population. It is the foundation of this city’s rich culture and history. By protecting and bettering the lives of Black New Orleanians, the city can begin to develop a truly inclusive social and political environment.

Organizations in New Orleans that promote human rights issues and reform include the Orleans Parish Prison Reform Coalition, ACLU of Louisiana, SAGE New Orleans – NOAGE, Forum For Equality, Nola4Women, and Citizen SHE. Find a comprehensive list of local human rights organizations at GiveNola.org.

As a voter, you can:

• Participate in census surveys, register to vote, and advocate for easy access to the ballot box, including voting by mail.
• Demand fair work conditions, including fair wage, paid family and medical leave, and sick time for all workers.
• Support criminal justice reforms to reduce prison populations and ensure that formerly incarcerated individuals can successfully reintegrate into society through housing and employment access.
• Vote against discriminatory barriers to affordable housing, quality healthcare, equal protection of the law, and equitable education.

As a resident, you can:

• Encourage voting in your community and educate yourself and others on candidates.
• Join and/or donate to campaigns for candidates who support human rights.
• Support the Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’s movement and the LGBTQIA+ movement, monetarily or by raising awareness.
• Contact your politicians to express your views on issues pertaining to the livelihood of your community.
• Use social media as a tool to spread awareness about key human rights issues.

Now that you’re familiar with the key issues that directly impact New Orleans and Louisiana, it’s important to inform and encourage others to vote, too! Easier said than done, right? These conversations can get uncomfortable, especially if you’re talking to someone with different political beliefs. Luckily, you don’t have to discuss political viewpoints, opinions, or candidate preferences when it comes to voting advocacy — you can simply talk to them about the importance of voting. How does this happen?

• Appeal to their sense of civic duty. Remind them that voting is a way for their voices and values to be heard. As citizens, we have many opportunities to benefit our communities, and one of the ways to do that is by voting in the right people to work towards change.
• Have a direct conversation. In person conversations tend to be more personal and effective than conversations on social media. Be sure to listen carefully to their concerns and offer advice on policy matters if their minds aren’t made up.
• Invite them to join you for the day of voting. Sometimes, the logistical details are what discourages people from voting. Offer friends and family a ride to the voting booth. Or make a day of it and ride bikes together to the booth. For 2024 elections, be sure to mask up!
• Show others you’ve done your part. Wearing an “I Voted” sticker is a social symbol that says you participated in an important event, and although it might seem like it doesn’t matter, many people are motivated by these indicators. Post a photo of you wearing your “I Voted” sticker on social media to encourage others to vote, too!
• Pass this guide along to friends and family! If it’s preferable to you, avoid the conversations completely and simply tell them how much you benefited from reading this guide!

How to Spot False Ads on Social Media

It’s a tale as old as time — if an ad seems too good to be true, it probably is. The same goes for excessively negative, biased, or unverified political articles or advertisements. With the PEW Research Center reporting that more than half of American adults use social media as a news source, it’s more important than ever to verify the information that we find on the internet when educating ourselves and others on important issues. Here are some tips on how to verify the credibility of political articles and ads on social media sites:

Make Your Registration Count!

In order to be eligible to vote in the next election, you must be registered at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through the GeauxVote Online Registration System, or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail. Mail-in applications must be postmarked 30 days before the election you plan on participating in.

What You Need To Bring to The Polling Station

Voting By Mail

To be eligible for mail-in voting in Louisiana, you have to have a reason for voting by mail rather than in person. There are many ways that you can qualify for mail-in voting that are listed by category on the LA Secretary of State’s website.

Applying for Mail-In Voting

As long as you are a registered voter, you can apply online for an absentee by mail ballot through the Louisiana Voter Portal: log into the site, use the “Search By Voter” function to find your voting information, click the “Request Absentee Ballot” link under Quick Links, fill out the form, and submit it. You can also print an absentee by mail application and send it to your parish’s Registrar of Voters.

If you’re approved for mail-in voting, you’ll need to make sure that you send in your ballot to your parish’s Registrar of Voters before the mail-in voting deadline for that election.

Early Voting

Early voting occurs 7-14 days before any Election Day. If a state holiday occurs during an early voting period, it’s extended to 15 days before Election Day. To vote this way, you can vote at your parish’s Registrar of Voters between 8:30 am and 6:00 pm on an early voting day. You can also vote at other early voting locations in your parish. You’ll need to bring all the same personal identification items that are required on a typical Election Day.

Qualifying for Early Voting

All registered LA voters are qualified for early voting! It’s a great option if you know ahead of time that you can’t vote on Election Day.

At Online Optimism, we want you to be optimistic about your role as a voter and as a member of your local and national communities. We hope this guide can help you make educated decisions when it comes to issues that directly impact New Orleans and Louisiana, including environmental changes; disparities in healthcare accessibility, poverty rates, and unemployment numbers; and social justice movements concerned with equitable human rights. We also hope you are now able to better identify misinformation and phony advertisements on the internet, and have found new ways to discuss voting with your friends and family.

As a voter, you have the right and the power to put the politicians whose views most resonate with yours into positions of power, so it’s important to remember how directly local politics impacts you. Although voting in federal elections is also important, most of the policies that directly influence you occur at the state and local level. It’s not likely that bigger news outlets will cover local elections, so be sure to follow local news sources to stay on top of local politicians and elections.

If this guide has helped, we hope you’ll share it with your friends and family! You can also find us on social media at the following links:

Find out more about Online Optimism at our website: https://www.onlineoptimism.com/