Tuesday, July 21st, the parish council will introduce this item for consideration. The agreement is between Broussard, Youngsville, and Lafayette parish that opens an early voting site at the East Regional Public Library on the southside of Lafayette Parish. The parish will agree to open it with financial assistance from the Broussard and Youngsville councils until December 2022, at that time the parish will assume all costs of the site. 

The League has long advocated for a fully accessible, adequate early voting site for all of Lafayette Parish. See here for details of LWV-Lafayette efforts to push for a large, centrally located early voting site other than the 1010 Lafayette St. Registrar of Voters’ Office.

Call and write your councilman! (map of council districts)

1. The East Regional Library is not accessible by Lafayette Transit.
2. The East Regional Library is not the most efficient geographic location to expand access to parish wide early voting. Most residents in Lafayette Parish would have to travel further to take advantage of the larger, ground floor early voting site. Here’s a map that shows population densities in Lafayette parish (dark green is more dense, dark grey is less dense). 
3. We recognize that the parish’s library branches represent excellent sites for early voting, we argue that the main branch of the library clearly represents a better alternative than the east regional site, including for the majority of southside residents. The main branch is larger, more centrally located, and accessible by Lafayette Transit.
4. The COVID-19 pandemic demands that we be extra diligent with early voting access. It is the parish council’s responsibility to ensure that elections are safe and fair and fully accessible for ALL of Lafayette Parish.

Even better, participate in the meeting on Tuesday!

(Method #1) You can appear in person, fill out a blue card announcing your intent to speak on Parish council agenda item INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 13. PO-032-2020 (early voting site at East Regional Library) and give it to the city council clerk.

(Method #2) You can appear in person, fill out a blue card indicating your opposition to Parish council agenda item INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 13. PO-032-2020 (early voting site at East Regional Library) but you do not wish to speak, and give it to the city council clerk.

(Method #3) You can phone the council office and have your name and phone number placed of a list of citizens to receive a call during the meeting. You must call on Tuesday July 21st between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The phone number to call is 337-291-8428. Advise the council clerk you wish to speak on Parish council agenda item INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 13. PO-032-2020. The clerk will take your information and call you during the meeting and allow you to speak to the council members for a maximum of five minutes. Please advise the council in your own words that you oppose the ordinance and want a 3rd site, (no money for a southside site until a central adequate site is also put in place).  This call will be live and everyone in the meeting will be able to hear you.

(Method #4) You can phone the council office and have your name placed on a list of citizens opposing Parish council agenda item INTRODUCTORY ORDINANCES 13. PO-032-2020. You must call on Tuesday July 21st between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The phone number to call is 337-291-8428.

Councilman Contact Information

District 1: Bryan Tabor, ph. 291.8801, email: brantabor@lafayettela.gov

District 2: Kevin Naquin, ph. 291.8802, email: kevinnaquin@lafayettela.gov

District 3: Josh Carlson, ph. 291.8803, email: joshcarlson@lafayettela.gov

District 4: John Guilbeau, ph. 291.8804, email: johnguilbeau@lafayettela.gov

District 5: AB Rubin, ph. 291.8805, email: abrubin@lafayettela.gov