Qualifying begins Wednesday for the October 19 election. Residents will head to the polls this fall to elect a number of positions in regular and special elections.
Evangeline Parish voters in School Board District 3 will elect a new member to fill the unexpired term of Jerry Thompson. Thompson died July 1 at the age of 63.
In Iberia Parish, Jeanerette voters will select a new mayor, alderman at large, and alderman for Ward 3. Jeanerette mayor Tim de'Clouet died July 1 at the age of 64. Alderman at large April Foulcard vacated her post to take over as interim mayor. Ward 3 alderman Sandy Derise resigned from his position earlier this year.
Jeff Davis Parish residents living in Ward 3 will elect a new justice of the peace. Jennings residents will select a new slate of aldermen, as all five seats on the board are up for grabs.
St. Landry Parish features the most number of races of any Acadiana parish with four. Residents in the eastern part of the parish will elect a new congressman after Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-Quitman) resigned his District 5 post to become Governor Bobby Jindal's Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In addition, residents in Krotz Springs council district E will elect a new alderman. Louis Polotzola resigned from the board of aldermen after KATC reported that he was ineligible to hold office because not enough time passed between the end of his sentence on a felony conviction and his run for office.
Two seats on the St. Landry Parish are also at stake. The District 3 seat was vacated in July when board member John Miller pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with a superintendent vote-buying scandal. The District 6 seat became open after longtime board member Ronald Carriere died in March.
St. Martin Parish residents will elect a new coroner to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Daniel Wiltz, who resigned from the job in April.
In St. Mary Parish, Baldwin residents will elect a new alderman. One of the five at-large seats on the board was vacated in February when the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Tony Gibson was ineligible for office because he did not wait 15 years following a felony conviction to run for office.
The lone race in Vermilion Parish is for Gueydan's chief of police position. Former chief Stoney Broussard stepped down on April 2.
There are no races in Acadia and Lafayette Parishes.