VIDALIA — The new year will bring a number of elections as offices for both state and parish officials will be voted on during the year.

Concordia Parish Clerk of Court Clyde Ray Webber said parish elections will begin April 2 with a race to fill the unexpired term of former Vidalia police chief Ronnie “Tapper” Hendricks.

Hendricks resigned from his position Nov. 1 after being charged with lying to federal law enforcement agents by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Hendricks later pleaded guilty to the charge at federal court in Alexandria Nov. 18, Sentencing for the charge is scheduled for Feb. 25.

Webber said qualifying for the election is scheduled for Feb. 9-11.

Webber said the other parish elections slated for 2011 will include state senators, sheriff, clerk of court, coroner, assessor and all nine spots on the police jury.

Webber said qualifying for parish elections is scheduled for Sept. 6-8, with the general elections slated for Nov. 19.

State positions up for election this year include governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance, the board of elementary and secondary education, assessor and coroner.

The qualifying and general election dates for the state positions will be the same as they are for the parish, Webber said.

Webber said there are currently no candidates available for the position, because unlike Mississippi, Louisiana only qualifies candidates running for the office a month and a half before the election.

Webber also said he expects the turnout for this year’s elections to be greater than normal.

“When the governor, sheriff and police jury run there is always a bigger election,” he said. “People just always seem to be more interested when these positions are up for election.”

Webber also said he wanted to remind residents that next year will be the presidential primary and election.

The presidential primary is scheduled for February and March of 2012, and the election is set for Nov. 6, 2012.