Polls Open at 7 a.m. – Close at 8 p.m.
LaSalle Parish will join voters across the state as the Gubernatorial Primary Election will be held Saturday, October 14, 2023 where voters will decide eight state offices including Governor, along with local elections for Sheriff and eight Police Jury seats.
The parish will also join other parishes in electing the District 20 State Representative and the District 5 BESE member.
Also on the ballot will be four Constitutional Amendments and one local sales tax proposition.
Polls will open at 7 a.m. and stay open until 8 p.m. at all voting locations throughout the parish. To be eligible to vote, you must be a registered voter in LaSalle Parish and present a valid form of identification such as a valid Louisiana driver’s license.
When voting closes at 8 p.m., commissioners will deliver the results from each voting precinct to the LaSalle Parish Clerk of Court’s office where they will be entered into the state computer system. Residents may keep track of results by using the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Geaux Vote app on smart phones and other digital devices or by using the www.sos.la.gov website, clicking the “Get Election Information” tab. LaSalle Parish Registrar of Voters Angie Sandifer expects a large turnout for the Saturday election and encourages voters to review the ballot before entering the voting booth.
A total of 1,492 LaSalle Parish residents voted in person during Early Voting last week a total of 192 mail-in ballots received. This makes a total of 1,684 ballots received as of Monday morning. Another 383 mailed ballots are still outstanding but had until Tuesday to be received at the Registrar of Voters Office.
Out of just over 8,000 registered voters in LaSalle Parish, around 20% participated in Early Voting. Sandifer notes the number of Early Voting ballots is usually adequative to the voter turnout on Election Day, which she believes this year will be on average for LaSalle during big election ballots. That average is typically a voter turnout over 65%.
STATE RACES
A total of 16 names are on the ballot for the office of Governor, including the front runners of Jeff Landry (R), Stephen Waguespack (R), John Shroder (R), Hunter Lundy (I), and Shawn Wilson (D). LaSalle Parish resident Danny Cole (D) is also on the ballot.
Others on the ballot for Governor are: Benjamin Barnes (I), Dat Barthel (R), Xavier Ellis (R), Keitron Gagnon (NP), Sharon Hewitt (R), Jeffery Istre (I), Xan John (R), Richard Nelson (R) and Frank Scurlock (I).
Also on the ballot are six candidates for the position of Lieutenant Governor. Incumbent Billy Nungesser (R) leads the field in this race.
Others include: Elbert Guillory (R), Tami Hotard (R), Willie Jones (D), Bruce Payton (I) and Gary Rispone (NP).
Eight candidates are vying for the vacant Secretary of State position, including LaSalle Parish native Mike Francis (R).
Others include: Gwen Collins-Greenup (D), Amanda “Smith” Jennings (O), Thomas Kennedy, III (R), Nancy Landry (R), Arthur Morrell (D), Clay Schexnayder (R) and Brandon Trosclair (R).
A total of five candidates will be on the ballot for the vacant Attorney General’s position. Those include Lindsey Cheek (D), Marty Maley (R), Liz Murrill (R), John Stefanski (R) and Perry Terrebonne (D).
The final statewide position to be decided is the office of Treasurer. Three candidates are looking to secure the position, including John Fleming (R), Dustin Granger (D) and Scott McKnight (R).
BESE DISTRICT 5
LaSalle Parish voters will join voters in 18 other parishes in the Northeast portion of the state to determine the District 5 Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) member.
Ashley Ellis, the incumbent, chose not to seek re-election and two candidates are vying for the seat. They are Toby Brazzel (R) and Lance Harris (R).
DISTRICT 20 STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Voters in LaSalle will also join voters in four other parishes to decide the Louisiana State Representative District 20 seat.
LaSalle Parish is split down the middle, separating the east from the west, with the west side of the parish in District 22, represented by Gabe Firment, and District 20 on the east side. District 20 includes the parish seat of Jena.
Incumbent Neil Riser (R), owner of Riser and Son Funeral Home of Columbia, will be facing Kevin Bates (R), the pastor of Life Church in Winnsboro.
These two men faced off during the 2019 election with Riser narrowly defeating Bates by just 269 votes, or 51% to 49%.
In the 2019 race, Bates carried his home parish of Franklin with 63% of the vote and Riser carried his home parish of Caldwell with 67%. Riser also carried LaSalle with 61%. During redistricting following the 2020 Census, the District 20 lines were redrawn to include more of LaSalle and less of Franklin.
LASALLE PARISH RACES
By far, the most anticipated election Saturday will be the LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s election.
Four-term Sheriff Scott Franklin has chosen to retire at the end of this term on June 30, 2024, and a field of six candidates will be on the ballot seeking to replace him.
They include former parish and state law officer and now Private Investigator Brian Andrews (R), LPSO Chief Deputy Jimmy Arbogast (R) who has served as Chief Deputy during all of Franklin’s terms, Jena businessman Deon Jones (D), LPSO Detective Brant King (R), threeterm Jena Chief of Police Scott McLendon (R) and former Alexandria Police Department Lieutenant and Supervisor Lane Windham (R).
Eight seats will be voted upon for the LaSalle Parish Police Jury as only two jurors went unopposed and won re-election. Those two were District 3 Juror Tim Lasiter and District 6 Juror Jack Zeagler. Three incumbents seeking re-election and drawing challengers are June Fowler of District 5, Brent Farley of District 9 and Casey Jones of District 10.
Voters will choose from the following men in the respective districts: District 1: Jacob Ayers
(R) and Al Cassels (R).
District 2: Rod Douglas (R), Rickey Nugent (R) and Jordy Poole (R).
District 4: Tim Kirl (R) and Buddy Powell (I).
District 5: June Fowler (NP) and Willie Twiner (R).
District 7: Steve Cripps (R), Leon Graham (R), Kevin McEntyre (R), Dusty Poole (R) and Brandon Streetman (R).
District 8: Leonard Gurganus (R), C. J. Hall (R), Raymond Humphries (R), Landon Lemay (R), Wacker Pritchard (R), Jarred Pugh (I) and Vince Stapleton (NP).
District 9: Curt Ainsworth (R), Brent Farley (R) and Jamie Hall (R).
District 10: Pop Brown (D) and Casey Jones (D).
SCHOOL BOARD TAX
Voters in LaSalle will also decide the fate of the LaSalle Parish School Board’s one-cent sales tax proposition.
The tax proposition has a 15-year term limit and includes official language as to how the tax money must be distributed: 25% for school safety and security; 50% construction/maintenance of facilities; and 25% for salaries and benefits of teachers and employees.
voters cast ballots during Early Voting last week, around 20% of the registered voters for LaSalle.”
