In unofficial results of the Louisiana 2020 Presidential Preference Primary, held Saturday, July 11, at press time, Louisiana Democrats chose Joseph R. Biden for the Democratic nominee and President Donald J. Trump for the Republican nominee.
Democrats
The Democratic party had 14 candidates on the ballot for the presidential nomination. Joseph R. Biden led the race in Allen Parish. Biden received 70 percent of the votes in the parish with 546 of the 785 ballots cast. Following Biden were Michael Bennet (6 percent, 48 votes), Bernard “Bernie” Sanders, Andrew Young (both with 5 percent, 36 votes) and Elizabeth Warren (3 percent, 20 votes).
Early voting in Allen Parish produced 241 ballots with 191 or 79 percent cast for Biden. Sanders was the closest nominee with 11 votes (5 percent). Statewide, Biden received 80 percent (212,267) of the votes cast. There was a total of 266,941 Democrats casting their ballot in the state.
Biden, the former vice president, became the presumptive nominee after Senator Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign and endorsed Biden on April 8, 2020. To be elected as the Democratic candidate in the next presidential election, the candidate needs 1,991 of the 3,979 delegates headed to the Democratic National Convention at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to be held August 17, to August 20.
According to information on Wikipedia, the primaries to elect the Democrat’s candidate are held from February to July, but had to be changed to August this year due to COVID-19, in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. It is speculated that Biden will be the party’s nominee for the presidential election in the fall.
Republicans
The Republican party had five candidates on the ballot and President Donald J. Trump was the winner among Allen Parish residents with 973 votes of the 989 ballots cast by Republicans or 98 percent.
Early voting ended with 240 ballots and Trump had 236 (98 percent) of those votes.
The Republican National Convention will be held August 24, to 27, at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. By tradition, the Republicans’ convention will be held after the Democratic Convention because they presently hold the White House, according to Wikipedia. In the nomination process for president, Trump should be named the party’s candidate for the fall election.
November election news
Qualifying for the November election has been rescheduled to July 22-24, 2020, pursuant to Act No. 28 of the 2020 Louisiana Legislature.
August election news
Early voting for the Saturday, August 15, 2020, election will be held July 25, to August 8, (excluding Sunday, July 26, and Sunday, August 2). Voters still have time to register to vote in this election. Books will close on July 15, for in-person registration and on July 25, for online registration. This ballot will include renewal millages for Recreation District One in Kinder and Road District Two in Oakdale.
For more information, call Warren’s office at 639-4966.
