Early voting has begun statewide from Oct. 23 through Oct. 30 at local voter registrar’s offices from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. except on Sundays when government offices are closed.   
Students who are not from Thibodaux or any local parish should consider voting this weekend if they are unable to vote on Election Day Nov. 6 because of school, work, or extracurricular activities.  
Linda Rodrigue, registrar from Terrebonne Parish, said, “A student as well as anyone else should vote early if it’s a problem for them to vote on election day.”  
Voters are encouraged to view a sample ballot by visiting the Louisiana Secretary of State Office’s website at sos.la.gov and follow the link to “Geaux vote.”  The website also has links to look up voter registration info, where to vote on Election Day and a list of early voting dates.  
There is also a free mobile app for geauxvote.com that provides the same information as the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website on mobile phones.  
A new initiative offered by the state this election year is “Honor Vets.  Vote.”  The program allows voters to dedicate their vote to someone who has fought for the right to vote.  By completing the online form, voters are eligible for a printable certificate, bumper sticker and/or label pin for free.  
“Everybody likes to be rewarded with something, and it helps people to realize how important voting is,” Rodrigue said.  
She added that it is important for voters to bring a photo ID with them to the voting polls.  Voters are also advised to review the sample ballot to have their decisions ready since there is a three-minute time limit at the ballot.  
“For this election there are nine constitutional amendments on the ballot, so a person doesn’t have time to read all of the information at the machine on Election Day,” Rodrigue said.