Harlan Kirgan
An early voting site is planned by October at the St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court office on the second floor of the Eunice Municipal Complex.
The site would be open to any St. Landry Parish voter for early voting.
On Thursday morning, several election officials gathered outside the satellite office of Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux to discuss the voting site.
Jagneaux expects the site will increase voter turnout in Eunice because of its convenience.
Richard Bertrand, of Eunice, a member of the St. Landry Board of Election Supervisors, said Eunice area residents drive 30 minutes to Opelousas for early voting and often discover it is difficult to find a parking place around the courthouse.
Angie Rogers, commissioner of elections for Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler, said there are 20 satellite early voting sites in the state.
Schedler approved the Eunice site because it is not costing the state additional money.
Shane Garrard, information technology director for St. Landry Parish Government, said the Eunice site actually saves money.
Phone and internet services cost from $5,000 to $6,000 a month for services to parish offices in Eunice, he said. After $2,000 in up front costs, the monthly bill will go down to about $1,500 a month, he said.
Garrard said it isn’t often that government can provide an additional service and reduce costs.
The cost savings comes from networking that links the city and parish offices in Eunice to Opelousas offices, he said.
Garrard said one example is initial appearances for those charged with crimes will be able to be conducted over the network, which saves taking a prisoner to Opelousas to appear before a judge, he said.
Cheryl Milburn, St. Landry Parish registrar of voters, said in major elections about 60 percent of the early voting is from Eunice. “I think this will be an advantage,” she said.