With just a month to go until Louisiana’s Presidential Preference Primary, a study committee is looking for ways to cut back on the expense of so many elections.
Commissioner of Elections, Angie Rogers, addressed the study committee on election processes at the Capitol on Wednesday. "The number of elections, the costs of those elections," says Rogers, "we have unfortunately several municipalities that have to be turned over to the Attorney General's office for collection because they can’t pay their election costs."
Rogers says she frequently fields phone calls from municipalities who have trouble affording some elections.
The problem is greatest in small localities when runoffs are required. "It’s an easy $1,200 to $1,500 per precinct every election," she says.
The most frequent extra expense comes with elections for Multiple Candidate Offices, where more than one candidate is elected for an office, like Aldermen, Councilmen or Constables. State law requires candidates receive fifty percent plus one of the vote to be elected - a majority voting system. But when multiple candidates are vying for multiple seats, that majority isn’t always reached, and so a runoff is required.
"If we had plurality voting in the primary election," says Rogers, "nine times out of ten, the same candidates would have won in that first election rather than having to go to a runoff and run for the final majority vote."
Rogers explained in a plurality voting system, the candidates with the most votes are elected, even if it’s below a majority. Allowing pluralities to decide Multiple Candidate Offices could eliminate a number of runoff elections.
Ronnie Harris, Executive Director of the Louisiana Municipal Association, says saving money is good, but caution may be in order. "The people want to have a feeling that majority rules," he says.
The committee plans to meet again before making recommendations to the Legislature.