Harlan Kirgan
Early voting for the next election involving Eunice voters may be held in Eunice.
Early voting for all of St. Landry Parish now occurs in the registrar of voters office at the courthouse in Opelousas.
Eunice Alderman Dale Soileau said Eunice voters don’t want to go to Opelousas. “They can’t even park at the courthouse,” he said.
Soileau brought up the possibility of having voting machines in Eunice to accommodate early voting a few months ago at a city meeting.
Charles Jagneaux, parish clerk of court and chief election officer, said Cheryl Milburn, registrar, had asked Secretary of State Tom Shedler to approve early voting in Eunice, but the request was turned down.
Jagneaux said resolutions are sought from the Eunice Board of Aldermen and the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs asking Shedler to approve early voting in Eunice.
Jagneaux said they are taking the extra step of asking state Rep. Phillip DeVillier to present the resolutions to the secretary of state.
“There is no extra expenses,” he said in moving a couple of voting machines to Eunice. The move would relieve pressure on the registrar’s Opelousas office, he added.
On Dec. 1, Jagneaux visited the Eunice Kiwanis Club meeting where the members approved a resolution.
The resolution includes, “Whereas the expense of providing an early voting location in the City of Eunice is minimal and Whereas the City of Eunice has agreed to accommodate the facilities for any early voting location within its City Hall building free of charge ...”
The resolution states the parish Board of Election Supervisors is making the request to the secretary of state.
The election board’s membership includes Jagneaux, Milburn, Van Reed, Richard Bertrand and Albert Semien.