Staff Report
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday for an election that includes a race for the next state treasurer to fill the unexpired term of John Kennedy, recently elected to the U.S. Senate.
Voters also will decide on three state constitutional amendments.
This was the first time early voting was held in Eunice and Cheryl Milburn, St. Landry Parish registrar of voters, said it was successful.
Out of 785 early votes tallied, 130 were cast at the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Courts office at the Eunice Municipal Complex, Milburn said.
“That wasn’t bad. There wasn’t an election where people were running out to vote,” she said.
“I still think is a wonderful thing that we were able to have ... in Eunice. And, persons who came to early vote expressed themselves how grateful they were that they didn’t have to come to Opelousas to vote. And, that makes it OK,” she said.
There were 423 early votes cast in Opelousas.
There were seven days of voting at the Opelousas office and four days at the Eunice office.
There were 232 absentee ballots.
Candidates for treasurer include Republicans Angelle Davis, Terry Hughes, Neil Riser and John Schroder; Democrat Derrick Edwards; and Libertarian Joseph D. Little.
There are three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot:
— Do you support an amendment to exempt from property taxes materials and other property delivered to a construction site to be made part of a building or other construction?
— Do you support an amendment to authorize an exemption from ad valorem property tax for the total assessed value of the homestead of an unmarried surviving spouse of a person who died while performing their duties as an emergency medical responder, technician, paramedic, volunteer firefighter, or a law enforcement or fire protection officer?
— Do you support an amendment that would dedicate any new tax levied on gasoline, diesel, and special fuels into the Construction Subfund, which solely shall be used for project delivery, construction, and maintenance of transportation and capital transit infrastructure projects and not for funding for the payment of employee wages and related benefits or employee retirement benefits?
In Acadia Parish, Iota voters will decide on the renewal of a 9-mill, 10-year property tax.
The estimated revenue from the tax is about $41,000 a year.
The money would pay for road and bridge work, and necessary drainage.
Proper identification is required during early voting. Voters are urged to bring a current Louisiana driver’s license or identification card and voter identification card.
Voters who require assistance during early voting or when they go to their voting precincts on election day are required to bring a physician’s certificate or excuse stating the reason they need assistance. This document is to be given to the registrar or to the commissioner in charge to be delivered to the registrar.
If there is runoff for the treasurer’s election it will be Nov. 18. Early voting will occur again in Eunice for that election.
The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is Oct. 28.
Early voting is Nov. 3-11 (except Sunday, Nov. 5) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
The deadline to request an absentee by mail ballot is Nov. 14 by 4:30 p.m. Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office (other than military and overseas voters).
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted mail ballot is Nov. 17 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).