Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Concordia Parish voters head to the polls on Saturday to cast ballots in the Oct. 14 state, parish and local primaries and vote on four constitutional amendments.

Polls will open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

On the ballot are the following races and candidates:

• State Sen. District 34: incumbent Katrina Jackson of Monroe and James “Joeboy” Smith of Rayville.
• State Rep. 21^st District: incumbent C. Travis Jackson of Ferriday, James “Jamie” Davis Jr. of Ferriday and Clark White Jr. of Winnsboro.
• Concordia Parish Coroner: Craig Hawn and Pamela Poole, both of Ferriday. Dr. Dennis LaRavia did not seek re-election.
• Concordia Parish Police Jury District 1, Place B: Robert L. Knoten of Ferriday and Wilbert S. Washington of Clayton.
• Concordia Parish Police Jury District 2: Darryl P. Curry, Willie J. Dunbar, Raymond T. Riley, and Kenneth Wayne Simpson, all of Vidalia.
• Concordia Parish Police Jury District 3, Place B: Incumbent “Scottie” Whittington, James Courtney Cockerham and Cornell L. Lewis, all of Vidalia.
• Concordia Parish Police Jury District 4, Place A: incumbent Genesia Allen and Elijah “Stepper” Banks, both of Ferriday.
• Concordia Parish Police Jury District 5, Place A: incumbent Collin Edwards and Karl Davis, both of Ferriday.
• Constable Justice of the Peace District 4, Daniel Barice Sr. of Ferriday and Wanda Sewell of Vidalia.

The Louisiana State Legislature concluded its legislative session for 2023 on June 8. During this session, a total of seven proposed constitutional amendments were passed, adding to the existing one that was referred to the 2023 ballot in the Legislature’s 2022 session.

Four amendments will be on the Oct. 14 ballot and four will be on the Nov. 18 ballot.

On Oct. 14, voters will decide the following constitutional amendments:

• An amendment to provide that the freedom to worship in a church or other place of worship is a fundamental right deserving the highest level of protection;
• An amendment to prohibit nonprofit organizations from receiving property tax exemptions if they own residential properties that pose a danger to public health or safety due to disrepair;
• An amendment to require a minimum allocation of 25 percent of nonrecurring state revenue to address the unfunded liability of the state retirement system. This amendment, if passed, would increase the minimum required contributions of nonrecurring revenues to the state public retirement systems from 10 percent to 25 percent; and
• An amendment to prohibit the utilization of funds, goods, and services donated by foreign governments or nongovernmental sources in conducting elections.

On Nov. 18, voters will decide the following constitutional amendments:

• An amendment to provide that the legislature has the authority to consider vetoed bills during regular or extraordinary sessions instead of convening a separate veto session;
• An amendment to allow the legislature, through a two-thirds supermajority vote, to utilize up to $250 million from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to address a budget deficit;
• An amendment to authorize local governments to grant an additional property tax exemption of up to $2,500 for first responders, including firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, emergency response dispatchers, peace officers, police officers, and sheriffs; and
• An amendment to repeal constitutional provisions that establish various inactive state funds and permit the transfer of remaining funds to the state general fund.

The Registrar of Voters’ office will receive absentee ballots until Oct. 13 by 4:30 p.m. An interested person may request an absentee ballot online through the Secretary of State’s voter portal or in writing through Concordia Parish’s Registrar of Voters’ office.