LOUISIANA (KLFY)– With early voting coming to a close, now is the time to cast your votes for the Oct. 14 election. If you want to take part in early voting, you have until Saturday, Oct. 7 to do so.
“I think it’s your civic duty,” Charlene Meaux-Menard with the Lafayette Parish Registrar’s Office said. “I mean we all grew up of course going to school learning that. I think it’s very important.”
Menard said early voting is Sept. 29 to Oct. 7. She said it’s important to exercise your right to vote, which is why it’s surprising to see the number of voters decrease.
“I am very surprised for this gubernatorial,” Menard said. “Normally we have lines, excessive lines and we haven’t had that issue for this election.”
Menard said she usually sees up to 2,000 voters in a day, but this year is different.
“I’d be honest with you. We used to see like 1,200 to 2,000 a day,” she said. “We’ve been seeing 600 to 700 a day here in this office. So that’s a big difference. “
She said one factor could be the multiple locations available for people to cast their votes this year. But even if that is the case, the numbers are still down. Menard said with the end of early voting tomorrow, she encourages everyone to come out and vote. And if you do, to bring a picture ID.
“And of course, tomorrow is the last day. So, if you haven’t voted, please come in and vote. You have until 6pm tomorrow night,” Menard said.
Early voting ends Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. Voters can go to one of three locations to cast their vote: the Lafayette Parish Registrar’s Office, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center on Cora Street., and the East Region Library on the Youngsville Highway.
