December election early voting starts

The citizens of Shreveport will decide in December to renew 1/4 of a one percent sales tax, which funds the city's police and fire departments. Early voting started today, but keeping the renewal separate from the presidential election has an obvious effect. The number of voters casting their opinion is expected to be drastically low. The crowds for early voting in the presidential election simply don't exist for the sales tax renewal proposition. Caddo Registrar of Voters Ernie Roberson says more than 5,000 voted early in November's election.

"Over seven days, having over 8,800 people come in here, so we averaged around 1,250 a day," Roberson said.

Roberson only expects about 20 voters a day for December's election. He says that's typical for proposition elections because they usually don't encourage an emotional drive in voters to take action as running candidates do.

"People rarely have that type of emotional attachment to an issue unless it's something that personally effects them," Roberson said. "So, you're not going to a see a lot of people showing up for this."

However, that doesn't mean the proposition isn't an important topic. Roberson says every election to worth voter attention.

"This is one of those issues that everybody should have a say in, but that's true in every issue that comes along," Roberson said. "So, hopefully people come out to the polls."

Even so, less than 10 percent of voters are expected to vote in the election.