Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LAPLACE — Russell Jack, registrar of voters for St. John the Baptist Parish, wants the public to be aware of upcoming important dates for the Nov. 3 election.

This year marks the Open Primary/Presidential Congressional Election, the 40th Judicial District Court Division B&C Election and the local Justice of the Peace/Constable Election.

Monday, Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote in person or by mail.

Tuesday, Oct. 13 is the last day to register to vote online at geauxvote.com.

Friday, Oct. 30 is the last day to request absentee by mail ballots. Monday, Nov. 2 will be the last day for the Registrar to receive the completed absentee ballots.

Early voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17. Early voting will resume Monday, Oct. 19 and continue through Tuesday, Oct. 27. Please note that early voting will not take place on Sunday, Oct. 18 or Sunday Oct. 25.

The Registrar of Voters has two office locations in St. John Parish. The East Bank location is 1811 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace inside the Parish Government Complex. The West Bank location is 2393 Highway 18 inside the Edgard Courthouse.

Tuesday, Nov. 3 is Election Day. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, call 985-652-9797, visit sjbparish.com/registrar or email stjohnrova@sos.la.gov.

---

Requirements to register to vote – Courtesy of the St. John Registrar of Voters

In order to register, visit the Government complex at 1811 W. Airline Highway or visit geauxvote.com.

To register and vote in Louisiana, individuals must

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be at least 17 years old (16 years old if registering in person at the Registrar of Voters Office or at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles) to register and 18 years old prior to the next election vote
• Not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of felony or, if under such an order not have been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last five years and not be under an order of imprisonment related to a felony conviction of election fraud or any other election offense pursuant to LA R.S. 18:1461.2
• Not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights
• Be a resident in the state and parish in which you seek to register and vote
• Apply at least 20 days prior to an election if registering online or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail

---

Vote by mail information – Courtesy of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice

In a decision handed down on Sept. 16, Federal District Court Judge Shelly Dick ruled that Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin must extend early voting and expand vote-by-mail options for the state’s November and December elections.

Judge Dick’s ruling will expand early voting from seven days to 10 days, and it will carry over the list of vote-by-mail excuses that were in place for the July and August elections. Sec. Ardoin’s proposed plan only allowed people to vote by mail if they received a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.

This ruling might not be the final step in this process, since Sec. Ardoin and/or Attorney General Jeff Landry have the option to appeal.

If this decision does in fact hold, as we expect it will, here are the new early voting dates and the five additional reasons someone can apply to vote-by-mail:

• Early voting: Friday, October 16 – Tuesday, October 27 (except Sundays)

Vote-by-mail excuses (Note: these excuses are in addition to the standard reasons that someone can request an absentee ballot in Louisiana):

• At higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions
• Subject to a medically necessary quarantine or isolation as a result of COVID-19
• Advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns
• Experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis
• Caring for an individual who is subject to a medically necessary quarantine or isolation order as a result of COVID-19 or who has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns