By LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – It is either the calm before the storm, or this year’s elections in St. Charles Parish look to be some of the quietest on record.

On the Oct. 5 ballot, eight St. Charles Parish School Board seats will be up for grabs. Only one of the positions is without an incumbent. The board’s new eight-district plan recently won approval from the U.S. Justice Department.

Also on the same ballot will be positions with the 29th Judicial Court, including three judges and the district attorney.

Finally, the justices of the peace and constables positions, seven of each, are on that same ballot, with runoff elections set Nov. 5, where necessary.

“I’ve gotten very few calls,” Clerk of Court Charles Oubre Jr. commented. “Nobody’s talking about this election.”

Which seems curious to Oubre, since qualifying dates for candidates are less than three weeks away – Aug. 21-23. Voters intending to vote in that election must be properly registered by Sept. 4 and absentee balloting will be held Sept. 23-28.

“I haven’t heard anything at all,” School Board President Wayne Roussel said.

Roussel, with 16 years on the board, said he plans to run for another term and he said all the incumbents plan to seek another term.

District Attorney Harry Morel Jr., with 24 years in office, likewise said he has not heard anything of opposition “but the attorneys here all know about the election.”

To qualify to run for school board, one only needs to be a registered voter and put up a $230 filing fee at the clerk of court’s office. To run for justice of the peace or constable, the fee is $150, and to run for district judge or district attorney, one must be an attorney, a registered local voter and put up a $600 filing fee.

On the St. Charles School Board, District 6 member Ronald St. Pierre has seen a lot in his tenure.

He was first elected in 1966, served for 12 years, was off the board for the next eight and returned to the board in 1986 where he’s been ever since.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the bond issue projects completed,” St. Pierre commented referring to the construction projects under way, including expansions to Norco and Luling elementary schools, the new St. Rose Elementary School, the new Raymond K. Smith Middle School and the yet-unnamed satellite high school.

As president-elect of the Louisiana School Board Association, St. Pierre said he is looking forward to serving as president next year, if he is re-elected.

St. Pierre has high hopes that will come to pass, as he said, “I really haven’t heard anything.”