BATON ROUGE (AP) — Early voting for governor, other statewide offices, legislative seats and a slew of local races began Saturday.

Candidates worried about college football schedules, hunting plans and weather distractions urged voters to go to the polls now, rather than wait until the Oct. 22 election.

All voters can cast ballots early, without any need for a medical condition or other reason.

Early voting runs through Oct. 15, except on Sunday, at parish registrar offices and certain other designated locations.

Commissioner of Elections Angie Rogers is projecting at least 40 percent of Louisiana’s 2.8 million registered voters to turn out for the election, with a large slice of those people showing up to cast ballots early.

“We’re expecting at least what we’ve had for past gubernatorial elections,” Rogers said.

At the top of the ballot is a 10-person race for governor, but one that has generated little heat.

Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal is seeking a second term, and though he has nine opponents, none has been able to compete in fundraising with the $14 million he’s raised for the race since he’s been in office. Only one challenger, middle school teacher and Democrat Tara Hollis, has run TV ads, though in a very limited fashion.

Rogers said she’s not anticipating the quiet tone of governor’s race to depress turnout.

Also on the October ballot are four other statewide elected jobs, including for lieutenant governor and secretary of state; five constitutional amendments; state education board seats; many local offices and dozens of state House and Senate seats.

Democrats didn’t field any candidates in the lieutenant governor and secretary of state races. Only GOP candidates are seeking the jobs.

Vying for lieutenant governor are incumbent Jay Dardenne of Baton Rouge and Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser of Port Sulphur. Running for secretary of state are incumbent Tom Schedler of Mandeville and House Speaker Jim Tucker of Terrytown.

Republicans are seeking to gain seats in the House and Senate and boost their majorities, while Democrats are simply hoping not to lose additional ground.

Several of the elections for state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education have become disputes between those who support traditional public school education and others who press for alternative educational models, such as expanded charter schools. The outcome of the BESE races will determine whether Jindal can get his favored choice for education superintendent appointed to the job.

Among the constitutional amendments are proposals to dedicate a stream of tobacco settlement money to the state’s free college tuition program called TOPS, to renew a 4-cent state cigarette tax and to change the repayment rules for the state’s “rainy day” fund.

Runoff elections as needed will be held Nov. 19. The new terms begin in January.