
Early voting for the Oct. 14 state and local election will begin this Saturday, Sept. 30, reported Winn Registrar of Voters Bryan Kelley.
Early voting in the Registrar’s Office, Winn Parish Courthouse, will continue through the following Saturday, October 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily. The office will be closed Sunday, Oct. 1. Sample ballots are posted on the wall outside the office. The registrar also suggests that residents may wish to download the Secretary of State’s GeauxVote app to view their sample ballot and monitor Election Night results.
Kelley pointed out that changes have been made in some ward/precincts due to recent redistricting which may affect some polling places or police jury districts of votes. Voter ID cards were mail to affected voters but anyone with questions is invited to call the Registrar of Voters Office at 628-6133.
Local races will be top interest to Winn voters. Leading that group will be the race for Sheriff. Three candidates are incumbent Cranford Jordan, Josh McAllister and Dylan Womack, all listed as “No Party.” Seeking the Assessor’s office are Chet Atkins and incumbent Lawrence Desadier, both also shown as “No Party.”
Of the three state senatorial districts that share Winn Parish, only the western District 31 will see a race between challengers Mike McConathy and Alan Seabaugh, both registered as Republican. Seeking the District 4 seat on the BESE board are Paige Hoffpauir (Republican), Stacey Melerine (Republican) and Emma McKnight (Democrat).
Four of the seven Police Jury seats are on the Oct. 14 ballot. Contenders for the District 3 vacancy are Darrell Franks, Kevin Pharr and Bryan Price, all registered Republicans. In District 4, Stanley Garrett will challenge incumbent Tammy Griffin, both as Republicans. District 5 contenders for the vacancy are James Jones (No Party) and Kyle Potts (Republican). In District 6, Larry Glenn (No Party) will challenge incumbent Author Robinson (Republican).
In a crowded field of candidates racing for statewide offices, there are 15 hopefuls seeking the governorship. Of those, eight are Republican, two are Democrat, four claim Independent while one is No Party. In the contest for Lieutenant Governor, three are Republican while one each are shown as Democrat, Independent and No Party.
Eight will seek the post of Secretary of State, with five as Republican, two Democrat and one as Other. Five hope to become Attorney General. Three of those are Republican and two Democrat. Of three candidates seeking the State Treasurer’s post, two are Republican and one is Democrat.
There will also be four constitutional amendments on the Oct. 14 ballot. Watch for more details on those plus an early voting update in next week’s Journal.