OBERLIN – Early voting for the Tuesday, November 8, Open Congressional Primary Election, will be observed Tuesday, October 25, through Tuesday, November 1, (excluding Sunday, October 30) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There will be eight amendments for voters to consider, along with the U.S. Senator’s race, Public Service Commissioner, parishwide taxes and local community races from mayor to council seats, police chief, constable and school board races.
Readers, who want to see their precinct’s ballot, should visit voterportal.sos.la.gov/sampleballot on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.
To read more about the ballots, one can visit Louisiana PAR (Pubic Affairs Research Council) at parlouisiana.org.
Now is the time to get prepared. Here are some of the highlights from PAR on each amendment, as well as an overview of the other items on the ballot. The report gives reasons for and against each vote as well as explaining the current situation and how the amendment will affect the state. Voters will choose yes or no when voting for the following amendments:
•CA No. 1 (ACT 130, 2021 – HB 154) – Modifies the maximum amount of monies in certain state funds that may be invested in equities
A vote for would: Let the state increase to 65% the maximum amount of money in seven different trust funds that can be invested in equities on the stock market.
A vote against would: Keep tighter limits in place on the percentage of the trust funds’ money that can be invested in the stock market, with some unable to be invested in equities at all.
•CA No. 2 (ACT 172, 2022 – HB 599) – Expands property tax exemptions for homestead exemption property for veterans with disabilities
A vote for would: Increase the property tax exemption available to veterans with service-related disabilities and to their surviving spouses after the veteran’s death.
A vote against would: Maintain the current level of property tax exemption available to veterans with service-related disabilities and to their surviving spouses.
•CA No. 3 (ACT 156, 2021 – HB 315) – Allows classified civil service employees to support election of family members to public office
A vote for would: Allow most of Louisiana’s civil service employees to support certain campaign activities of a candidate for public office when that candidate is an immediate family member.
A vote against would: Continue the current prohibition on Louisiana’s civil service employees participating in campaign activities or supporting candidates for public office.
•CA No. 4 (ACT 155, 2021 – HB 59) – Authorizes a political subdivision to waive charges for water under certain circumstances
A vote for would: Let local water districts, municipalities or other political subdivisions reduce customer bills for water use if the charges stem from water lost due to damage outside a customer’s control.
A vote against would: Keep local water districts, municipalities and other political subdivisions from lowering bills or waiving customer charges for water use in almost all circumstances.
•CA No. 5 (ACT 133, 2021 – SB 154) – Provides relative to property tax millage rate adjustments and maximum authorized millage rates
A vote for would: Give local taxing bodies more time to decide if they want to “roll forward” millages that increase property taxes paid by businesses and homeowners.
A vote against would: Keep the rules governing millage “roll forwards” the same, giving local taxing bodies until the next property reappraisals to make the decision.
•CA No. 6 (ACT 129, 2021 – HB 143) – Limits the increase in assessed value of certain property following reappraisal in Orleans Parish
A vote for would: Limit increases in the property tax liability of homes subject to homestead exemption in Orleans Parish, capping the reassessment increase to 10% of the residential property’s assessed value in the previous year.
A vote against would: Continue the current system, which requires a four-year phase-in of tax liability for homes subject to the homestead exemption when a reappraisal increases assessments by more than 50%.
•CA No. 7 (ACT 246, 2022 – HB 298) – Provides relative to the prohibition of involuntary servitude and administration of criminal justice
A vote for would: Rework the state constitutional ban on slavery and involuntary servitude, allowing their use only for the “lawful administration of criminal justice.”
A vote against would: Keep the state’s current constitutional language banning slavery and involuntary servitude, but allowing involuntary servitude as a “punishment for crime.”
•CA No. 8 (ACT 171, 2022 – HB 395) – Removes requirement of annual certification of income for certain eligible disabled homeowners
A vote for would: Remove the requirement that certain property owners with disabilities annually certify their income to receive a property tax rate freeze.
A vote against would: Continue the annual income certification required for certain property owners with disabilities to receive a property tax rate freeze.
Rest of the Ballot
Voters in Allen Parish, depending on precinct, will see some of these items on the ballot. All voters will see the senate race, public service commissioner’s race, amendments and a parishwide renewal for four mills for the police jury.
U. S. Senator (Select 1):
•Beryl A. Billiot #1
•Gary Chambers Jr. #2
•Devin Lance Graham #3
•“Xan” John #4
•John Kennedy #5
•W. Thomas La Fontaine Olson #6
•Bradley McMorris #7
•MV “Vinny” Mendoza #8
•“Luke” Mixon #9
•Salvador P. Rodriguez #10
•Aaron C. Sigler #11
•Syrita Steib #12
•Thomas Wenn #13.
PSC District 4 (Select 1):
•Keith C. Bodin #53
•“Mike” Francis #54
•Shalon Latour #55
Member of School Board District 4 (Select 1)
•Robert “Pete” Cavenah #59
•Nicole Fontenot #60
Member of School Board District 5 (Select 1)
•Gregory Monceaux #61
•Tonya Ryder #62
Member of School Board District 7 (Select 1)
•James Nelson #63
•Kevin Tyler #64
Member of School Board District 8 (Select 1)
•Carleen Brown Mahaffey #65
•Chad Reeves #66
Constable Justice of the Peace Ward 3 (Select 1)
•Michael Dotson #67
•Jimmy R. Young #68
Mayor Village of Reeves (Select 1)
•“Chris” Guillory #76
•Kelvin Rion #77
Mayor Village of Elizabeth (Select 1)
•Tina Maricle Coleman #72
•Mandy L. Green #73
•Stacy R. Haymon #74
•Swen Rortvedt #75
Chief of Police Village of Elizabeth (Select 1)
•Katrina Ford #80
•Shane Ware #81
Aldermen Village of Elizabeth (Select 3)
•Stacy Earl Weldon #94
•Brenda Johnson Dunham #95
•Kenneth “Ken” Kelly #96
•Nikolas K. Ray #97
•Angela Smith #98
•Mea Sonnier Dillehay #99
•Kelly Stalsby #100
Council Member at Large Town of Kinder (Select 1)
•Robert Kibodeaux Jr. #85
•Susanne “Sue” Sonnier #86
•Jeremy Walker #87
Council Member District 3, Town of Kinder (Select 1)
•Charles Buck #101
•Jerry L. Nevils Jr. #102
Mayor Town of Oberlin (Select 1)
•Larry Alexander #70
•Wallace Bellard, Jr. #71.
Chief of Police Town of Oberlin (Select 1)
•Wayne Courville #78
•Grady K. Haynes #79
Alderman at Large Town of Oberlin (Select 1)
•Toney P. Locks #82
•Abraham “Ham” McCleon III #83
•Romelzy Willis Jr. #84
Alderman District 1, Town of Oberlin (Select 1)
•Kandra Manuel Willis #89
•Ryan Rozas #90
Alderman District 3, Town of Oberlin (Select 1)
•Linda “Whip” Boulden #91
•Gary “Pecun” Marcantel #92
Parish Propositions – Yes or No:
•Parishwide Proposition – 4 Mills Renewal – PJ – 10 Yrs.
•Fire Protection District No. 1 – 6.47 Mills Continuation – PJ – 10 Yrs.
•Road District No. 5 – 5.30 Mills Renewal – PJ – 10 Yrs.