St. Tammany Parish Ballot Takes Shape As November 3 Qualifying Enters Final Day

Sheriff Special Election, Congressional Races And Local Contests Will Bring St. Tammany Voters Back To The Polls This Fall

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. Candidate qualifying for Louisiana’s November 3 election entered its final day Friday, August 7, as the field continued to take shape for races affecting voters throughout St. Tammany Parish.

The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office set the qualifying period for August 5 through August 7. Local and municipal candidates qualify through the clerk of court in the parish where they are registered to vote, while state and congressional candidates file with the Secretary of State.

In St. Tammany, the Clerk of Court serves as the parish’s chief elections officer and is responsible for qualifying local candidates, overseeing election-day procedures and certifying local results. The clerk’s Elections Office in Covington lists regular Friday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Because qualifying remained open Friday, the candidate lineup was not yet final as of Friday morning. Additional candidates could still file before the qualifying period closes.

Sheriff Race Is The Major Parishwide Contest

The most closely watched parishwide local race this fall is the special election for St. Tammany Parish sheriff.

The Parish Council voted in late June to hold the special election on November 3 following the resignation of Sheriff Randy Smith. Smith resigned after pleading guilty to battery and disturbing the peace in connection with an incident at a Madisonville restaurant.

Bret Ibert was appointed interim sheriff following Smith’s departure and has said he does not plan to seek the office in the special election.

Four candidates had publicly announced campaigns for sheriff heading into the qualifying period: former Louisiana State Police Superintendent Robert Hodges, former Slidell Police Chief Daniel Seuzeneau, former U.S. Marshal Scott Illing and retired St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy David Maki.

Those campaign announcements should not be confused with a final qualifying list. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Candidate Inquiry system provides the official status of candidates who file for office, and the final field should be checked after qualifying closes.

The winner of the special election will complete the remainder of Smith’s term. The person elected this fall would have to seek election again in 2027 to remain sheriff beyond the current term.

Louisiana’s open primary system generally allows a candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the vote to win the office outright. If no candidate receives a majority, the two candidates receiving the most votes advance to the December 12 open general election.

November Ballot Extends Beyond The Sheriff Race

St. Tammany voters will also see federal, state, judicial and local contests depending on where they live.

U.S. House races are being conducted under Louisiana’s open primary system on November 3 this year. The congressional contests were moved into the fall election cycle, with qualifying taking place August 5 through August 7.

Several other major offices followed Louisiana’s new closed party primary process earlier in the year. The Secretary of State said qualifying had already taken place for U.S. Senate, Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education races.

Local and judicial contests will differ across St. Tammany because not every office appears on every voter’s ballot. Residents should check the Secretary of State’s voter portal as the election approaches to see the races and propositions assigned to their precinct.

Key Dates For St. Tammany Voters

The deadline to register to vote in person, by mail or through an Office of Motor Vehicles location is October 5. The online registration deadline through the GeauxVote system is October 13.

Early voting is scheduled for October 20 through October 27, excluding Sunday, October 25. Early voting locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The deadline for most voters to request an absentee ballot is October 30 at 4:30 p.m. Completed absentee ballots generally must reach the registrar by November 2 at 4:30 p.m.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Why This Matters In St. Tammany Parish

The November election will combine races that affect the entire parish with contests determined by a voter’s home address.

The sheriff election is parishwide, meaning voters from Slidell, Pearl River and Lacombe to Mandeville, Madisonville, Covington, Abita Springs, Folsom and other St. Tammany communities will participate in choosing the next sheriff.

Other judicial, congressional and local races can vary by district or precinct. For that reason, voters should review their individual sample ballot once the Secretary of State publishes finalized ballot information following qualifying.

The November 3 vote will also mark the first parishwide election for sheriff since the unexpected vacancy this summer, giving voters across St. Tammany a direct role in selecting who will lead the Sheriff’s Office for the remainder of the current term.