Voter rolls decrease slightly here

The number of registered voters in St. Mary Parish has dropped by roughly 600 voters since the 2011 gubernatorial primary, though the parish registrar says the percentage of voter turnout for Saturday’s primary election should reach or come close to reaching 2011’s turnout.
St. Mary Parish Registrar of Voters Jolene Holcombe hopes voter turnout will reach 50 percent in the parish, but thinks the actual turnout will be somewhere between 45 and 50 percent, she said. Voter turnout reached 46.4 percent in St. Mary Parish for the 2011 gubernatorial primary, according to statistics from the registrar’s office.
The 2011 gubernatorial primary had 33,238 registered voters compared to 32,624 voters registered for the 2015 gubernatorial primary.
There are 20,187 white voters registered for this year’s gubernatorial primary, down from 20,869 in the 2011 election. A total of 10,974 black voters registered for this election, down slightly from the 11,027 registered voters in 2011. Registered voters of other races totaled 1,463 voters in 2015, up from the 1,342 voters registered for the 2011 primary.
Democrats registered for the 2015 primary totaled 15,711, down 9.4 percent, from the 17,343 Democrats registered in 2011. Registered Republican voters in the parish increased from 7,662 in 2011 to 8,053 prior to the 2015 gubernatorial primary.
In 2011, Gov. Bobby Jindal got 66 percent of the statewide vote with Tara Hollis, D-Haynesville, the closest challenger with 18 percent of the vote. In St. Mary Parish, Jindal received 67 percent of the vote to Hollis’ 16 percent, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.
For the 2015 gubernatorial primary, the four major candidates for governor are state Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, R-Breaux Bridge; Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, R-Baton Rouge; state Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite; and U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie.
Local races parish voters will vote on include sheriff, parish president, parish council, BESE District 3 Representative, and District 51 State Representative.
Any runoff races will be decided during the Nov. 21 Gubernatorial General Election.