St. Martinville – When early voting opens March 10-17 (excluding Sunday) for the March 24 presidential preference primary, folks in the north end of the parish will not have to drive all the way to St. Martinville to cast their ballots.

On Feb. 7, the St. Martin Parish Council declared the new Council on Aging building in Breaux Bridge, now officially the Sydnie Mae

Maraist Durand Senior Citizens Activity Center, to be available for early voting.

Voters in the lower, non-contiguous part of the parish use the water and sewer district office for early voting.

Patricia T. Guidry, St. Martin registrar of voters, reminds voters that, except for the Town of Henderson election, this is a closed party election, and only those registered as members of the respective parties can vote in their primaries.

Voters in Henderson regardless of party affiliation will be asked to pick five out of the following six candidates for the Town Council: Judy Broussard, Samantha LeBlanc, Don LeGrand, Jody Meche, Ray Joseph Robin, and Michael Theriot; and one of two candidates for chief of police: Leroy Guidry and Billy Lawrence.

Republicans in this state may choose between Michelle Bachmann, Randy Crow, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Charles “Buddy” Roemer, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. At this point, however, only Gingrich, Paul, Romney and Santorum remain as major candidates.

Depending on the area of the parish, Republicans may choose between Nathan Liebert and Joseph “Rick” Pearson for member of the Republican State Central Committee from the 46th Representative District, Subdistrict B; Julie Emerson and Raymond “LaLa” Lalonde for the 39th Representative District, Subdistrict A; or Jessie Morton and Blake J. Steiner for the 50th Representative District, Subdistrict B.

Democrats are not without choice in the state’s primary. In addition to Barack Obama, Bob Ely, Darcy G. Richardson and John Wolfe are on the ballot.

Democrats in some parts of the parish may also choose between Maggie F. Daniels and Porcha Evans Wilson for the 96th Representative District, Office A, member of the Democratic State Central Committee.