Absentee Voting Extended Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Voters in Louisiana still have time to vote via absentee ballot in the upcoming Presidential Primary Election July 11. Voters qualify to vote absentee if they are over 65, a college student away at school, will be out of town on election day, or few other reasons that would cause a temporary absence.
Calcasieu Parish Registrar of Voters, Kim Fontenot, announced the COVID-19 pandemic has presented new difficulties for some residents being able to go to the polls and vote. Due to the virus health threat, qualifications to apply for an absentee ballot
have expanded to those who fit any of the following criteria: people in quarantine, persons with coronavirus symptoms, or people diagnosed with or are taking care of somebody with the virus.
Fontenot says because of the COVID-19, crisis there’s been a big increase in mail-in ballot requests. Bottom line, if people aren’t comfortable or are high risk, they should go with the absentee ballot and stay safe. The deadline to return/mail in absentee ballots is July 10.