Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CONCORDIA PARISH, La. — Absentee voting for the Tuesday, Nov. 5, open primary, presidential and congressional election is underway in the Miss Lou.

Presidential electors in Louisiana are voted on by the candidates’ names, including Democrats Kamala D. Harris and Tim Walz; Republicans Donald J. Trump and “JD” Vance; Green Party Jill Stein and Ajamu Baraka; Libertarians Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat; American Solidarity Party Peter Sonski and Laruen Onak; Constitution Party Randall Terry and Stephen Broden; Godliness, Truth, Justice Party Mattie Preston and Shannel Conner; Justice For All Party Cornel West and Melina Abdullah; Socialism and Liberation Party Claudia de la Cruz and Karina Garcia; Socialist Workers Party Rachele Fruit and Dennis Richter; and We the People Party Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nichole Shanahan.

Concordia Parish will not only have the opportunity to vote for presidential electors, but will also choose between Republican Julia Letlow, Republican M.V. “Vinny” Mendoza, and Democrat Michael Vallien Jr. to represent the 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.

The parish will also vote yes or no to a constitutional amendment. Click here for the sample ballot.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 1 states: “Do you support an amendment to require that federal revenues received by the state generated from Outer Continental Shelf alternative or renewable energy production be deposited into the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund?”

This amends Article VII, Section 10.2 to include federal revenues received by the state that are generated from wind, solar and other alternative or renewable energy production sources to be deposited and credited by the treasurer to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund. As the legislation is written it only includes revenues “generated from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activity.”

Precincts 1-1, 1-3, 1-4, and a part of precinct 1-2 will also have a special election to elect James Skipper or David Turner, both Independent, to Justice of the Peace in District 1.

Part of precinct 2-1 will elect no party candidate Kevin “Cajun” Friloux or Independent Sheila Trust Gardner to Justice of the Peace in District 2.

Precinct 4-1 will have two special elections to elect Independent “Connie” Adair or no party candidate Veller Ray Carroll to be the next mayor of the Village of Ridgecrest and Democrat Gerald “G” White or Independent Don Lucas Williams as Alderman of the Village of Ridgecrest.

The deadline to register to vote in this election in person, by mail or at the Office of Motor Vehicles is Monday, Oct. 7. However, voter registration continues online for Louisiana voters through the GeauxVote Online Registration System through Oct. 15. Just visit voterportal.sos.la.gov/VoterRegistration.

While Louisiana polls on election day are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Louisiana offers early voting where voters may go in person to designated locations in their parish to cast their ballot Mississippi does not offer early voting. Early voting begins Oct. 18 and lasts through Oct. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding Sunday, Oct. 20, and Sunday, Oct. 27.

To vote early in Concordia Parish, go to the Concordia Parish Courthouse at 4001 Carter St., Suite K.

Unlike with early voting, voters do not need to be in their home parish to request an absentee ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Nov. 1 by 4:30 p.m., other than for military and overseas voters. Absentee ballots may be requested online through the Voter Portal, voterportal.sos.la.gov, or in writing through your local Registrar of Voters Office.

For Concordia Parish voters, the address of the Registrar of Voters Office is Concordia Parish Courthouse, 4001 Carter St., Suite K, Vidalia, La. 71373-3021

The deadline for the Registrar of Voter’s Office to receive a voted absentee ballot is November 4 by 4:30 p.m., other than military and overseas voters.

For more information about voting in this and other elections in Concordia Parish, call 318-336-7770 or email concordiarov@sos.la.gov.