Louisiana voters sent a message on Saturday, and it was bigger than five constitutional amendments.

All five amendments failed. More than anything, this felt like a lack of trust in elected officials and the process itself. Too many people feel like major decisions are being made without enough real public buy in or healthy debate along the way. When voters start feeling disconnected from the process, they eventually look for another way to use their voice. This time, voters used these amendments to do exactly that.

Democrats showed up motivated by their frustration over the congressional districts. After days of packing the Capitol, trying to stop maps they feel disenfranchise them, it wasn’t hard to get them to vote no to the governor above all else. Whether the amendments had anything to do with the maps or not, this became another opportunity to push back against the current political climate in Louisiana. Protest votes are rarely precise, and this election proved that.

Unfortunately, St. George may have lost the most. After years of fighting for their own school system, one of these amendments could have finally helped move that effort forward. Instead, they became collateral damage in a statewide political fight that had very little to do with them.

There were political consequences across the board Saturday. Cassidy lost. Julia Letlow and John Fleming  are headed to a runoff. Now, the question becomes whether the person who falls short eventually pivots toward a congressional race.

What happens next will be interesting. This the Senate race has been unbelievably nasty. Candidates, consultants, supporters, and everyday people online have spent months tearing each other apart. At some point, the constant personal attacks and scorched earth campaigning stop persuading people and start hardening them. It is difficult to imagine many voters suddenly supporting someone they have spent months being told is corrupt, dangerous, dishonest, or unfit for office.

At the end of the day, this election was not really about five amendments. It was about frustration. Frustration with government, frustration with politics, and frustration from people who feel like their voices only matter when it is time to vote. Saturday was their chance to say something back.