By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Qualifying dates are over and for the April 1 ballot. Three candidates qualified for the Councilman-at-large, Div. B seat and four candidates qualified for the Justice of the Peace, District 6 position in St. John the Baptist Parish.

Republicans Steve Lee, Steven Thornton and Gary &#8220Buddy” Boe Jr. will be on the ballot to take the seat until 2007, due to the passing of Councilman Joel S. McTopy last August.

Wilfred Mitchell Jr. (D), Henry Moore (D) and Larry M. Snyder (D) and George Paul Reinhardt (Independent), will be on the ballot to fill the vacancy seat for Justice of the Peace, which came available after the resignation of Honorable George Allen.

Allen resigned on Aug. 20, and was temporarily replaced by Todd Clement, then as of Feb. 1, Rosie Monica took over until the election.

Qualifying fees for the councilman-at-large position were $115, then $57.50 for the committee fees, and if the candidate is a Democrat, they have to pay another $57.50 for the local Democrat party fee. For the Justice of Peace, there is a $75 qualifying fee, $37.50 committee fee, and if they are Democrat they have to pay a local party fee of $37.50, according to the St. John Parish Clerk of Court Office.

Absentee voting is set March 20-24 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and March 25 from 8:30 a.m.-noon, at the Registrar of Voters Office in the Percy A. Hebert Building, located at 1801 W. Airline Hwy in LaPlace.

Locations for voting on April 1, will include St. John Parish Council on Aging, St. Joan of Arc Family Life Center, Percy Hebert Building, LaPlace Elementary School, John L. Ory Elementary School, St. John Parish LaPlace Branch Library and the Arcuri Center to find out what location is best and the precinct, refer to the voter registration card that was issued at the time of registration.