Nathan Stubbs

Candidate qualifying opens today

by Nathan Stubbs

Candidate qualifying begins today for the upcoming fall elections for federal, state and local offices. On the federal level, all seven of Louisiana’s Congressional seats are on the ballot, as well as one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats. This year marks a return to a closed primary system for federal elections. Each party will hold Sept. 6 primaries, with party runoffs scheduled for Oct. 4, to determine candidates for the Nov. 4 general election. If no more than one candidate emerges from a given party, they will automatically advance to the general election. Only registered Republicans can vote in the GOP primaries while Democratic primaries are open to registered Democrats and independents.

State and local elections are also being held Oct. 4, with Nov. 4 runoffs, for district and appellate court judges and district attorney. In Lafayette, the ballot will also include city marshal, two city judges, and two school board seats (Districts 1 and 3). Qualifying ends 5 p.m. Friday. Check the Secretary of State’s candidate database for the latest information on which candidates have qualified.