One-fourth of St. Mary voters cast early or absentee ballots

Nov. 5 is Election Day. But for about a quarter of St. Mary’s registered voters, the ballot is already cast.

During early voting, which ends Tuesday, a total of 7,019 St. Mary people had voted early in person as of midday Monday, according to the Registrar of Voters Office. Another 934 absentee ballots had been received.

The most recent Secretary of State’s Office report says the parish has 31,832 registered voters.

You can still vote early 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday at the Parish Courthouse in Franklin, the Registrar of Voters Office at 301 Third St., Morgan City, or the West St. Mary Civic Center.

As of Saturday, Republican St. Mary voters had turned out in bigger numbers than Democrats, although Democrats have an edge in total registrations.

The state said 3,771 Republicans had voted early in St. Mary, compared to 2,595 Democrats and 1,333 who are registered with other parties or none.

Women have outnumbered men 4,330-3,368 in early voting. Among racial groups, Whites cast 5,629 early ballots, Blacks 1,870 and other groups 200.

The early voting rate of 25% roughly matched the statewide early voting.

In Morgan City, voters will decide three City Council races, two of them involving 20-year incumbents.

In District 3, incumbent the Rev. Ron Bias is being challenged by Marcelle B. Hoskins and Julia "Blaze" Johnson.

In District 5, incumbent Lou Tamporello is running for re-election against Eriq Blanchard.

Both Tamporello and Bias have served since 2005.

The council's newest incumbent, Bonnie Leonard, is running for the District 2 seat she has held since an interim appointment in April. Her challenger is Jean Paul Bourg.

Mayor Lee Dragna and Councilmen Steve Domangue and Tim Hymel qualified for re-election without opposition.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, is running for a fifth two-year term from the 3rd Congressional District, which will cover all of St. Mary Parish when the new Congress convenes in January.

Higgins is being challenged by Democrats Priscilla Gonzalez of Lafayette and Sadi Summerlin of Westlake and by Republican "Xan" John of Lafayette.

One state constitutional amendment is on the ballot: a proposal to dedicate federal income received by Louisiana from alternative and renewable energy production to the fund that pays for coastal restoration work.

Louisiana is considered likely to support former President Donald Trump, a Republican, over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race.

Louisiana voted for Trump over Sen. Hillary Clinton 58%-38% in 2016 and for Trump over then-Vice President Joe Biden 58%-40% in 2020.