Early voting happening in Teche Area

Published 8:35 am Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Early voting is commencing once again in the Teche Area for several runoff elections that did not have a clear victor in the election earlier this month.

Early voting started this month in Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parishes, with all three parishes having three constitutional amendments to vote on for the Dec. 10 election.

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One amendment will determine if a person who is not a member of the United States will be registered to vote in Louisiana, and another will require confirmation by the Louisiana Senate to appoint members to the state Civil Service Commission.

The final amendment will ask voters if they support making appointed members of the State Police Commission subject to confirmation by the Louisiana Senate as well.

In Iberia Parish, a single Iberia Parish School Board seat is the parish election on the books for the election. Residents in District 10 will be deciding whether to vote on incumbent Rachel Segura or Suzette Charpentier into the board for the next term.

Charpentier nearly grabbed the win during the Nov. 8 election when she received 49 percent of the vote, with Segura receiving 32 percent of the vote.

With a background in education, Charpentier said she really wants “to get in and find out what the community wants and figure out what the people need” following that election.

Segura, who has had 12 years on the school board, said she will continue to serve the community in her final term in office if elected.

“I’ll be doing the same thing I’ve done every day for the last 12 years, which is to try and make our district a little better every single day,” Segura said.

St. Martin Parish also has a single school board runoff on its ballot for local elections. District 9 residents will be choosing between Marlin d’Augereau and Cheryl Knott for the position.

In St. Mary Parish, two races in Baldwin will be decided by voters. The Baldwin chief of police position will be appointed, with the two candidates Ronnie Fuselier and Anthony “Gip” Gibson facing a runoff.

A Baldwin Alderman position will also be determined between Carolyn Bowser and Marion Newton.

Those wishing to early vote can head to their parish Registrar of Voters office between 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.