Hello, all! Welcome to the March 2024 nah brah voter guide
Just a few things before we get started:
THERE IS A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $5-10 TO ACCESS THIS VOTER GUIDE. I consider this voter guide a public service, but it still takes up both my time and resources, so please consider donating before you continue reading (you can also donate on Venmo @louisianahbrah). Donate what you can—Louisianahbrah is entirely funded by our supporters, and every dollar helps.
I don’t do endorsements; I provide resources and thoughts. What I really want to achieve here is to make it as easy as possible for you to educate yourself about what’s on your ballot so you can cast an informed vote. You know, the whole “teach a voter to fish” thing.
Subscribe to this newsletter! It comes out weekly and covers all kinds of juicy info and analysis about Louisiana politics. You can also become a paid subscriber for $5/month or $50/year, which is another excellent way to support this work.
general information
In this election, the presidential primary and municipal primary (party leadership) elections are on the ballot. You may also have some local races and propositions on your ballot, so make sure to check your ballot ahead of time. Please note that only voters with a party affiliation designated on their voter registration will be able to to vote in the presidential primary and/or the party leadership elections for their respective parties.
Find Early Voting locations here: Early voting is always a good idea! You never know what might happen on Election Day, so plan in advance!
Check your voter registration: You can check it online here, or download the Geaux Vote app and check it there.
Know what’s on your ballot: To find out specifically what’s on your ballot, you can download the Geaux Vote mobile app, or click here if you aren’t into apps.
Put these dates in your calendar and make a plan to vote. They are also on the Nah Brah Social & Civic Calendar, and you can just click here to add to yours (super easy)
presidential primary
Presidential Preference Primaries are held for voters to select their party’s nominee for President of the United States. In other words, all the presidential primaries happening around the country right now will determine who will be the candidate for each party in the presidential election in November. A voter may only vote for a party’s nominee if that party affiliation is designated on their voter registration.
This means that if you are a REGISTERED DEMOCRAT who is either pleased or displeased with Joe Biden, this is your chance to chime in on whether or not he should be the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. However, please note that there is no uncommitted option—if you don’t like Biden, your only options here are to vote for someone else or skip that section of the ballot. That’s totally up to you.
Also, shout out to any Republicans who may be reading this! You can also express your displeasure with Trump by voting for one of the other four Republican candidates or abstaining. Godspeed.
democratic municipal primary
There are two positions up for election in the Democratic municipal primary: seats on the Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC) and seats on the Democratic Parish Executive Committees (DPEC). Again, please note that only voters with a Democrat affiliation designated on their voter registration will be able to vote for members of DSCC or DPEC.
Descriptions of DSCC and DPEC from the Power Coalition:
Democratic State Central Committee (DSCC): is the governing body for the Democratic Party of Louisiana and has sole responsibility for the affairs of the Louisiana Democratic Party. The DSCC helps elect Democratic candidates in local, state, and national elections, conducts the Democratic National Committee delegate selection process, promotes and builds the state party, fundraises, conducts research on judicial or executive issues, and maintains voter relations, education, and leadership programs.
Democratic Parish Executive Committees (DPEC): have the general responsibility for Democratic Party affairs at the local level. They are under the jurisdiction of the DSCC and DNC. They are responsible for the endorsement of local candidates, as well as for building Democratic infrastructure within their communities. DPECs elect statewide and local Democratic candidates, promote Democratic Party activities, hold a minimum of 4 meetings per year, communicate with the Democratic State Central Committee, fundraise, and affiliate with local organizations.
There are several seats for each position, so prep time will be a bit more involved here. Here are some tips/resources:
Check out who your candidates are via your sample ballot (download the Geaux Vote mobile app, or click here)
If you are happy with the direction of the party, figure out who your incumbent DSCC and DPEC members are via the Geaux Vote mobile app or the Sos voter portal (click on “my elected officials” and scroll way down) and vote them back in! (but like also do your research—look at their platforms, websites, and social media—and make sure they really represent you)
If you are unhappy with the direction of the party:
Check out Blue Reboot. According to them, they are “a team of 100+ fearless Louisiana Democrats who are committed to reforming, rebuilding, and rebooting the Louisiana Democratic Party.” Their main goal is to vote out current leadership, and have put together a slate of candidates to do just that.
Check out LA Blue Team, another group seeking to give the boot to the current leadership. They also provide a slate of reform candidates (I think most of them overlap with Blue Reboot, but unclear)
Check out these Louisiana Lefty podcasts to learn more about the Democratic Party's structure and how it works in Louisiana.
PSA: DSCC and DPEC are responsible for voting on leadership positions in the Louisiana State Democratic Party, including the Chair. Which means that this is the most direct way you can impact who chairs the Louisiana State Democratic Party. Which means that if you expressed displeasure with the leadership of the Louisiana State Democratic Party after the last gubernatorial election (that Janky Jeff dominated), then this is the election for you to officially register your complaint. Which means that if you bitched then but do not vote now, then you haven’t done the bare minimum to address what you identified as our problem. Which means you will no longer be allowed to bitch.
voter resources/guides
The best way to use a voter guide is to pick an organization that best aligns with your values and roll with their suggestions.
I’ll keep adding resources as they become available, so bookmark this page and come back to it.
a word
As I’ve said many, many times before, voting is crucial. Voting is an extension of your power and your voice. Voting is a way to exert your influence on the world around you, but it isn’t the only way.
We are living in a pretty bleak political landscape that has restricted our electoral power. We have a Republican supermajority and a far-right Governor. We are seeing so many systems torn down in the blink of an eye that we have fought years to build. There may not seem like much hope for right now, but there is always hope for the future, and now is the time to start planning for that.
Now is the time to get involved and start exercising your voice. It doesn’t have to be a full-time job, and you don’t have to become an expert; just talk to your community. Engage with the people around you. Learn from the people who are on the ground and help them however you can.
Take a look at the Nah Brah Social & Civic Calendar. There are so many opportunities to learn and engage. Just pick one.
We’re in this together.
*If you are an advocate or an organization with an upcoming event you would like to be shared with the Nah Brah community, please send me the details here.
nah brah news
The first Nah Brah Social & Civic Club Zoom will be next Wednesday, March 20, from 5-6 pm CST (only available to paid subscribers of this newsletter to keep the trolls out). This will be a monthly space for us to chat, catch up, ask questions, answer questions, commiserate, and share opportunities for impact. Super informal, very chill—I’ll probably be drinking a millie tall boi while we meet.
I’m so excited! I’ll send an email out early next week with deets.