Louisiana
What led to ‘No’ votes on all Louisiana amendments? An elections analyst explains
Louisiana voters scorned four constitutional amendments on ballots Saturday with a decisive “no” vote on all the measures from many parishes across the state.
The results set tongues wagging among politicos and advocates through the weekend, who are now working to break down what doomed the amendments — and in some cases, how to capitalize on that success.
The proposals included potential constitutional changes on specialty courts, taxes, how teenagers are prosecuted and more. The most closely watched result was Amendment 2, which included a sweeping tax revamp championed by Gov. Jeff Landry.
After a review of returns and turnout, results were likely driven in part by “Democratic anger” against Landry, or perhaps even President Donald Trump, one pollster and analyst said.
“When you saw a party line vote like that for all four amendments, you really cannot escape that conclusion that you just had this big, massive ‘no’ vote,” said John Couvillon of the firm JMC Enterprises of Louisiana/JMC Analytics and Polling.
The governor’s aides did not immediately return a request for comment.
Louisiana voters rejected all four proposed amendments to the state constitution on Saturday.
Couvillon explained that constitutional amendments tend to be lower-profile contests in Louisiana, often getting a bit lost down ballots. But he felt something notable was happening when reviewing turnout from early voting, which showed significant engagement from Louisiana’s Black and Democratic voters.
The conventional wisdom from some was that election-day turnout could reverse that, he said. Instead, the opposite happened, including a turnout spike in progressive stronghold Orleans Parish that was about 10 points above the rest of the state, even without local races.
Other factors in play included rural parish voters, whom he said tend to be “very suspicious” of tax changes. Some evangelical leaders also had come out against Amendment 2, fearing it would lead to taxes on churches.
“When I saw that that message was allowed to percolate without an adequate pushback from the governor’s side, that’s a powerful constituency to antagonize,” Couvillon said.
Underperformance from Republican voters also “sealed the deal” on Saturday. He pointed to returns from higher-income areas, such as Jefferson Parish, against Amendment 2 as an early indicator.
Overall, he said the results could lead to a reset from the governor’s team.
“I think the context has changed for Governor Landry in terms of four unequivocal losses, which is two to one ‘no’ votes on every single amendment,” Couvillon said. “That’s a pretty significant cut that he has to find a way to kind of, I guess, regroup, for lack of a better term.”
Almost a year after the suburb was incorporated into a city, voters in St. George elected their first leaders on Saturday. Residents also voted against adopting a home rule charter, which would have established the city’s governing structure.
The results were widely interpreted as a political loss for Landry, who distributed a statement late Saturday night that seemed to express pique with the results.
“The primary goal of Amendment 2 was to create a better opportunity for our citizens. To work towards inviting people into our State rather than have them leave. Unfortunately, [George] Soros and far left liberals poured millions into Louisiana with propaganda and outright lies about Amendment 2,” Landry said.
The governor added that “positive change” is a challenge to implement in a state that is “conditioned for failure.”
The business lobbying group Louisiana Association of Business and Industry supported all the amendments except Amendment 3, a measure on youth prosecution on which it took no position. The group said over the weekend that it would continue to advocate for tax code reforms.
“Saturday’s result on constitutional Amendment 2 makes clear the need to return to the drawing board in order to build consensus on such a critical issue that impacts every Louisianan,” the group said in a statement on behalf of its president and CEO, Will Green. “While this outcome isn’t what we had hoped for, we remain deeply motivated to build on the achievements of the past year.
“Our commitment to ensuring that Louisiana’s citizens and job creators receive the fair, straightforward tax code they rightfully deserve remains stronger than ever.”
Creating the proposed district could deal a blow to East Baton Rouge Parish schools, sapping students and public funding.
In advance of the election, the amendments drew visible opposition in the form of signage, media appearances and get-out-the-vote efforts from grassroots, advocacy and policy groups across the state, including the ACLU of Louisiana, the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice and others.
The amendments’ opponents celebrated a win over the weekend, particularly in a state climate that is often viewed as dismal or difficult for the political left.
“Tonight’s vote sends a resounding message that the agenda behind these amendments never had a mandate and that voters are sick of being lied to, shut out and taken for granted,” the “No to Them All” coalition, which opposed the amendments, said in a statement. “If our elected leaders want to make changes to our constitution in the future, we the people of Louisiana have two words of advice for them: ‘Do Better.’”
The election results likely moot a legal challenge pending in East Baton Rouge Parish to Amendments 1 and 3, which had argued the process by which they were placed on ballots was unconstitutional.
That lawsuit was filed by a group of voter plaintiffs from around the state and Voice of the Experienced, the advocacy group led by formerly incarcerated people.
VOTE said in an Instagram post over the weekend that officials tried to push through “shady constitutional amendments in a low-turnout election, but the people were watching.”
“This is just the beginning. We showed up, and we’re not stopping now,” the group wrote.
This story was produced by the Gulf States Newsroom, a collaboration between Mississippi Public Broadcasting, WBHM in Alabama, WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana and NPR.
Louisiana
Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past
The brother of Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts — accused of raping her son’s teenage friend — is facing child sex crimes of his own.
Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, was accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years, KALB reported.
The alleged sexual abuse began when one of the victims was as young as 13, according to Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford.
He was arrested in October.
That comes years after his big sister – ex-mayor of DeRidder, 43-year-old Misty Roberts – allegedly got hot and heavy with her son’s 16-year-old friend at a drunken party at their home.
Roberts was allegedly caught in the tryst by her own kids.
She was arrested months later, and is currently on trial for rape charges.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
3-9-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 2 drawing
4-1-1-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing
0-5-2-9-5
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana National Guard announced Monday that 120 troops will remain deployed in New Orleans through August.
The six-month extension comes after 350 Guard members deployed to New Orleans in late December, in the run-up to New Year’s and other high-profile events like the Sugar Bowl. The troops, which had mainly clustered in the city’s historic French Quarter, had been scheduled to depart in the aftermath of Mardi Gras.
New Orleans is one of several Democrat-run cities, such as Washington and Memphis, Tennessee, where the federal government deployed armed troops under the administration of President Donald Trump. Hundreds of federal agents also converged on Louisiana in December as part of a separate immigration crackdown in and around New Orleans.
During his State of the Union address last week, Trump touted the deployment in New Orleans as a “big success.” In January, Trump credited the troops with reducing the city’s violent crime within a week of their deployment. City police data shows violent crime rates have significantly declined over the past three years in parallel with national trends.
According to a press statement from the Louisiana National Guard, the remaining guard members will serve as a “visible presence to deter criminal activity in New Orleans.”
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who initially opposed the deployment, said that the troops would benefit the city in the coming weeks. She pointed out that National Guard troops had assisted the city during last year’s Mardi Gras in the aftermath of a vehicle-ramming attack in the French Quarter that killed 14 people on New Year’s Day.
“I continue to support the partnership with the LA National Guard to assist in our major events and there are several coming up in the next few weeks,” Moreno said in a statement.
While Moreno did not address which events she referred to, visitors flock to New Orleans in the spring for events like the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and staunch Trump ally, requested the deployment of the National Guard last September, citing rising violent crime rates in New Orleans despite the data showing crime was down.
“This continued deployment will help us combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana,” Landry wrote on the social platform X on Monday, noting Louisiana had also sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., last year.
Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for Landry, said the federal government would cover the cost of the extended deployment. She did not respond to a question about whether Guard members would be deployed outside New Orleans.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said in a statement the troops had already worked closely with other city, state and federal agencies to improve public safety during a stretch of high-profile events in the city, including the flood of visitors over Mardi Gras and the city’s carnival season.
“We remain committed to those partnerships as we continue supporting efforts to keep the City of New Orleans safe for residents and visitors,” Friloux said.
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