The audience and candidates at the gubernatorial debate on the LSU campus this week laughed when Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne referred to LSU Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette as Louisiana’s “most valuable natural resource.”
 But Fournette and the LSU Tigers’ home game this Saturday (along with in-state games of four other Louisiana schools) coincides with Election Day and that could rob candidates of thousands votes.
 The LSU homecoming match against Western Kentucky Saturday will attract more than 100,000 voters to the Baton Rouge campus, potentially reducing turnout.
“It may be the lowest turnout we’ve ever seen in a governor’s race, and I hope I’m wrong,” Dardenne said following the debate. “But I’m concerned that may be the case. And I hope that enough people have been paying attention and go vote early before they head out to the games all across the state.  But I do think that’s going to be a factor on turnout.”
 According to an October 15^t survey by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, only 39 percent of Louisiana citizens are closely following the governor’s race. 
“It’s heading for a very low turnout total,” Pearson Cross, associate professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, said. “It’s supposed to rain, [along with] game day and those kinds of factors can further depress turnout.”
 The past two gubernatorial elections in 2011 and 2007 fell on LSU home games against Auburn. Statewide voter turnout in Gov. Bobby Jindal’s 2011 low-profile re-election staggered at 37.4 percent, and East Baton Rouge Parish’s turnout was even lower at 32.9 percent.
 “Fall elections have historically competed with football games as well as other weekend activities such as hunting or family events,” Secretary of State Tom Schedler said. 
 “Many people take advantage of our Early Voting opportunities which allow voters to cast their ballot at their convenience.  However, the bottom line is, don’t make excuses, make a commitment to go vote so your voice can be heard.”
But historically voter turnout was lower on those home game days than when there was a bye or an away game. Besides the LSU game, Grambling University has its homecoming game at 2 p.m., McNeese State has its homecoming at 6 p.m. (against Northwestern State in Natchitoches)  and Louisiana Tech has a home game at 2:30 p.m.
 The early voting turnout for this fall’s election was 7.6 percent, nearly 14,000 fewer ballots cast than in early voting in last year’s congressional election.
However, State Rep. John Bel Edwards says he remains confident voters will show up to the polls despite the low voter turnout during early voting and past elections held on college football game days.
“The people who want to vote have the opportunity to vote regardless of the game,” Edwards said. “That is certainly my hope and expectation, that people will take their civic responsibility seriously and actually vote.”
Commissioner Scott Angelle and Sen. David Vitter’s offices did not respond to inquiries for comment.
 Margaret Manning and Zachary Barnett contributed to this report. 
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