Apr 29, 2025 - Politics
What's on the ballot May 3 in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Voters in Orleans and Jefferson parishes head to the polls Saturday to make selections on local races and determine how some property tax dollars get spent.
Why it matters: Turnout is traditionally pretty low for these hyperlocal elections, so votes can have an outsized impact on how your municipality runs.
The big picture: Only about half of Louisiana's parishes have measures on the ballot for this election.
- Tuesday is the last day to request an absentee ballot, and Friday is the final day for it to be received.
- Polls will open on Saturday at 7am and close at 8pm. Find your polling place.
Orleans Parish will decide whether to renew a millage supporting the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office.
- A "yes" vote would approve the millage for another decade. Otherwise, the existing millage will expire this year.
- The 2.46 millage gives OPSO about $13.9 million annually, the Sheriff's Office says.
- Voters in Lake Vista will also be able to say "yes" or "no" to a fee of up to $220 per household in support of the Lake Vista Crime Prevention District.
Jefferson Parish voters will decide who will serve as council representative for District 1.
- The runoff is down to Timothy Kerner Jr. (R) and Andrea Manuel (D). Catch up quick from The Times-Picayune.
- Jefferson Parish also has three decade-long millage renewals on the ballot, including measures supporting the parish library (beginning in 2028), and the drainage system and parish recreation (both beginning in 2027).
Go deeper
- The Bureau of Governmental Research has a report on the OPSO millage.
- Jefferson Parish has explainers on the drainage, library and recreation millages.