SHREVEPORT, La. — Voters in Caddo Parish experienced a few minor issues during Saturday's runoff election, while election officials in neighboring DeSoto Parish reported a smooth Election Day.
 
Caddo Parish Clerk of Court Mike Spence said two voting machines at Byrd High School malfunctioned early Saturday morning, but the problem was resolved quickly.
 
Spence also said the polling location at Ellerbe Road Baptist Church opened late, forcing some voters to either cast paper ballots or return later in the day to vote.
 
Despite the early hiccups, Spence said the biggest concern was low voter turnout.
 
"I feel this is unusual for a runoff to have this low of a voter turnout," Spence said. "We've had anywhere from 30 voters at some precincts to 151."
 
Spence said another challenge involved voters with no party affiliation, who must declare whether they want to vote in the Democratic or Republican runoff before receiving a ballot.
 
"When they get to the polls, they have to declare if they're going to vote Democrat or Republican, and some voters just don't like doing that," Spence said.
 
"It costs a lot of money to run an election, and we don't have many voters," he said.
 
Spence also said about 100 precincts across Caddo Parish were short-staffed Saturday.
 
In DeSoto Parish, Registrar of Voters Amanda Raynes said Election Day has gone smoothly, with only one voter arriving at the wrong polling location.
 
Raynes said turnout has been slow but in line with what officials typically expect during a runoff election. She encouraged voters to use the Geaux Vote app to confirm their polling location before heading to the polls, noting that several precincts have been consolidated into more accessible voting locations.
 
Election officials in both parishes reminded voters with no party affiliation that they can still vote in Saturday's runoff by declaring whether they want a Democratic or Republican ballot. However, voters who selected a party during the May election must remain with that same party for the runoff.