Early voting will begin Saturday

Early voting for the Nov. 21 gubernatorial general election starts Saturday and continues through Nov. 14.
Polls will be closed Sunday and Nov. 11 for Veterans Day.
Voting hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. St. Mary Parish residents can vote early at the Registrar of Voters Office on the third floor of the courthouse in Franklin or at the registrar’s Morgan City branch office, 301 Third St.
Final turnout for the gubernatorial primary was 41.1 percent compared to 46.4 percent for 2011 gubernatorial primary. Of the 32,625 registered voters in the parish, 13,419 voted in the Oct. 24 primary election. A total of 8,950 white voters, 4,182 black voters and 287 voters of other races cast their ballots. Among the different political parties, 7,195 Democrats, 4,026 Republicans and 2,198 other-party voters cast ballots.
St. Mary Parish Registrar of Voters Jolene Holcombe expects overall voter turnout will be lower than the primary election, but it’s hard to predict early voter turnout.
“I’m guessing (turnout will be) maybe a little less than for the Oct. 24 election,” Holcombe said in an email. “There are a lot of things that factor into that.”
With election day occurring the Saturday before Thanksgiving, turnout may be affected by people taking vacations, Holcombe said. Things such as hunting season and football games may also negatively affect turnout, she said.
On the ballot will be the gubernatorial runoff between U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, and state Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite. Other statewide runoffs include ones for lieutenant governor between East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden, D-Baton Rouge, and Plaquemines Parish President “Billy” Nungesser, R-Belle Chasse; and for attorney general between incumbent Buddy Caldwell, R-Baton Rouge, and Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia.
Local runoffs on the ballot are for the District 51 State Representative race between incumbent “Joe” Harrison, R-Napoleonville, and Beryl Adams Amedee, R-Gray, the 16th Judicial District Division D judge runoff between “Eddie” Guidry, R-St. Martinville, and Lewis Pitman, R-New Iberia; St. Mary Parish Council District 1 race between Craig A. Mathews, D-Jeanerette, and Patrice Rodriguez Picard, D-Franklin, and the St. Mary Parish Council District 3 race between Rodney P. Olander, R-Franklin, and Dale J. Rogers, D-Franklin.