JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (WGNO) – Voting in Jefferson Parish got off to a rocky start when a bomb threat was called into Kenner Discovery School, one of the polling places.
Shortly after the bomb threat came in, the precincts were moved to Audubon Elementary School in Kenner.
Jefferson Parish Clerk of Court Jon Gegenheimer said there were no disruptions once they made the transition.
In Jefferson Parish, 16,000 people participated in early voting.
By Tuesday afternoon, Gegenheimer believed a little less than half of the 275,000 registered voters headed to the polls.
“In the neighborhood of 40%, which is moderate for this kind of election,” Gegenheimer said. “Everything went very smoothly thus far.”
In Metairie, those working the polls at the Jefferson Parish fire station on N Causeway Blvd. say they saw more people in the morning versus lunchtime.
For some, they cast their ballots with very specific reasons in mind.
“I think that voting gets your opinions heard, and I think it’s very important,” Jefferson Parish voter Lauren Schnell said. “Every vote counts, and it’s important to express those opinions, and I’m out here voting for women and the environment.”
For others, they say their frustrations with the current administration have led them to the polls.
“Because I think that the president is not in a position to be able to make the decisions he’s making,” Jefferson Parish voter Julie Belts said. “I think somebody else is running it, and I think if we keep letting him do that, it’s going to run everything in the ground. I know our investments have taken a nosedive.”
The polls close at 8 p.m., and if you’re in line at 8 p.m., you can vote!