LAPLACE — Early voting begins today in St. John the Baptist Parish, where local voters are deciding on two parish-wide issues and those who live in District 11 are still locking down their region’s School Board representative for the next four years.

Local residents are being asked to submit their vote in the Louisiana Secretary of State runoff between Interim Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin and Gwen Collins-Greenup.

Statewide, Ardoin secured 298,652 votes, compared to Collins-Greenup’s 289,070 on Nov. 6. Each candidate’s Louisiana showing represented 20 percent of the turnout.

In St. John Parish, Collins-Greenup seized 5,697 votes (41 percent), compared to Ardoin’s 1,734 (13 percent). Renee Fontenot Free was the second leading voter getter last month in St. John Parish for Secretary of State with 2,475 votes (18 percent).

In the St. John Parish District 11 School Board race, none of the three declared candidates reached more than 50 percent on Nov. 6, as incumbent Clarence Triche took in 46 percent of the turnout (601 votes), compared to 38 percent for Lisa Tregre-Wilder (492 votes) and 16 percent for Shondrell Perrilloux (203 votes), leading to a runoff between Triche and Tregre-Wilder.

Parish voters are also being asked to approve a request by St. John Government to redirect a portion of millage funding dedicated to the parish health unit to a broader purpose benefiting mosquito control efforts, mental health services and medical services of the coroner’s office.

Early voting begins today (Nov. 24) and continues through Dec. 1, excluding Sunday (Nov. 25).

Early voting takes place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the Percy Hebert Building, 1801 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace, and St. John Courthouse, 2393 River Road in Edgard.

“The holidays are here, so many voters will need to take advantage of early voting due to additional commitments,” Ardoin said. “Voters don’t need an excuse to take advantage of early voting, and I hope they will remember the importance of their vote.”

Voters should utilize Louisiana’s award-winning smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to find out where to early vote as well as what’s on their ballot. Voters can also access this information in our Voter Portal by visiting voterportal.sos.la.gov.

For a complete listing of statewide early voting locations, visit voterportal.sos.la.gov/EarlyVoting.

In addition to a Louisiana driver’s license, a Louisiana Special ID or a generally recognized ID with picture and signature, voters may now use a digital license via LA Wallet, the new smartphone app by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.

Poll commissioners have received training regarding the digital license as an acceptable form of picture ID.

Election Day for the open general/special primary is Dec. 8 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information, contact the Elections Division by calling 800-883-2805 or emailing elections@sos.la.gov.