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Early voting for the Oct. 12 election will begin this Saturday, Sept. 28.
It will run each day through Saturday, Oct. 5, with the exception of Sunday, Sept. 29. Early voting can be done on each of those days, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Vermilion Parish Registrar of Voters Mike Bertand’s office. His office is located on the first floor of the Vermilion Parish Courthouse in downtown Abbeville.
On the ballot for Vermilion Parish Sheriff will be incumbent Mike Couvillon and challenger Lance Broussard.
There will be numerous races for seats on the Vermilion Parish Police Jury.
The race in District 3 will be between incumbent Brent Landry and challenger Kerry Richard.
District 5 voters will decide between incumbent Wayne Touchet and challenger Barbara Adams.
Incumbent Mark Poché and challenger Al Harrington are vying for the District 6 seat.
In District 7, incumbent Paul Bourgeois faces challenger Ernal “EJ” Broussard.
Chad “Chad-O” Lege and Tony Romero are the two candidates for the District 9 seat.
There will be a three-man race in district 11. Taking part in that race are Scott Broussard, Tony Faulk and incumbent Pervis Gaspard.
Voters in District 12 choose among three candidates, Dexter Callahan, Mike “MJ” Landry and David Trahan.
There will be a special election for the Vermilion Parish School Board’s District E seat. That will be between Charlotte Detraz and Anita Levy.
There will be a special election for Kaplan Aldermen in District C. That race is between Kevin Cormier and Justin “JJ” Johnson.
There will be two races for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). One will be in District 7 between incumbent Holly Boffy and challenger Timmie Melancon. The other will be in District 3 between Janice Perea and Sandy LeBlanc Holloway.
There will be a race for State Senator in District 26. Current Sen. Bob Hensgens is seeking re-election against challenger Jerry Gaspard.
Some In the north Vermilion area will vote on State Representative for District 31. There are four candidates in that race, Jim Dore, Jonathan Goudeau, Gus Rantz and Quinta Thompson.
There will also be statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and forestry and commissioner of insurance.
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 gubernatorial primary is Saturday, Oct. 12 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

ABBEVILLE — A Home –going Celebration will be held for Mrs. Harriet M. Scott 80, the former Harriet Maze at 11:00 A.M. Saturday September 28, 2019, at Rose Hill Baptist Church with Rev. John Allen, Pastor officiating.
She will await the resurrection in Rose Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Banker, LA.
A gathering of family and friends will begin at 9:00 A.M. Saturday at the church until time of service.
A Native of Franklin, Louisiana and resident of Abbeville, Louisiana. She passed at 11:35 A.M. Monday, September 23, 2019, at Abbeville General Hospital in Abbeville, LA.
She was a member of Mount Triumph Baptist Church where she was a member of the mission, a Deaconess, a member of the Willing Workers and worked with the Youth Department. In addition, she was a member of the Seventh District Baptist Association and President of Area 5.
She leaves to cherish her memory, her husband, James Scott of Abbeville, LA; one son, Willie Nolan, Jr. of Abbeville, LA; two children she reared as her own: Randy Williams of Port Arthur, TX and Charlotte Williams of Abbeville, LA; two children who she considered as grandchildren: Denhym Maze of Abbeville, LA and Raynah Maze of Iowa, LA; two godchildren: Shawnye Maze and Patsy Joiner of Abbeville, LA; one aunt, Alma Maze of Abbeville, LA; a devoted cousin/caregiver, Connie Minnick of Abbeville, LA and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Ambrose Maze, Sr. and Viola Washington Maze; four brothers: Chester Roy Maze, Robert James Maze, Ambrose Maze, Jr and Jimmy Maze and two sisters: Louise Fairley and Druetta Maze.
Active Pallbearers are: Donald Kimble, Alfred Minnick, Albert Grogan and Ernest Randle.
Honorary pallbearers are: James Scott, Willie Nolan Jr., John Maze, Glenn Maze, Murphy Washington, Mervin Guidry, Burke Guidry, Sandra Cain, Dorothy Lee Robinson, Maudrie Stewart, Carrie Mae Armelin, Willia Bea Edmond, Josie Landry, Dorothy Grogan, Viola Sonnier, and Jennie Dawson 
Condolences may be expressed at www.fletcherfuineralhomes.org
Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Fletcher Funeral Home (337-893-2440) 1116 Green Street Abbeville, LA 70510.

Superintendent Jerome Puyau asked Federal Judge Robert R. Summerhays to grant a temporary restraining order against three school board members.
After 45 minutes of hearing attorney arguments, Summerhays denied issuing a temporary restraining order against board members Laura LeBeouf, Kibbie Pillette and David Dupuis.
Had the judge approved the restraining order, LeBeouf, Pillette and Dupuis could not vote on anything dealing with Puyau.
Summerhays said for him to grant a restraining order against the three board members, someone would have to convince him the three were going to harm Puyau.
“I do not see harm,” said the judge. “As far as restriction of speech? I do not see any restrictions.”
Judge Summerhays sent the case to a magistrate judge to hear the motion for a preliminary injunction. A date for that hearing has not been set.
Brett Grayson is Puyau’s attorney. He tried to convince the judge that his civil rights were violated when the board ordered Puyau not to speak to school employees during his suspension, which began in July.
School board attorney Ty Manieri explained to the judge that the school board told Puyau not to act as the superintendent or speak to school employees as the superintendent because he was suspended by the school board.
“He is not allowed to speak as a superintendent but can speak as a citizen,” Manieri told Judge Summerhays.
Before the judge’s ruling, Grayson also tried to convince the judge that Puyau feared that he would be fired after being put on paid leave for 90 days while an investigation took place against the superintendent.
Summerhays did not agree. The school board has never begun actions to fire Puyau, school board attorney Ty Manieri told the judge. “There has been no action to terminate him (Puyau),” said Manieri.
Judge Summerhays encouraged Manieri to advise the school board not to try and fire Puyau until the civil lawsuit is finished.
There is a special board meeting Thursday and the one agenda item states for the board to move into executive session to discuss the pending litigation of this federal lawsuit and the state lawsuit that the board has filed against Puyau.
Manieri explained to the judge that a special meeting was being called in order for him to update the board on the hearing that took place on Wednesday. He said there was nothing on the agenda to go into executive session to speak about possibly firing Puyau.
LeBeouf, Pillette and Dr. Dupuis were not in the courtroom.