The next two years are going to be election years with major races on the ballot.

Qualifying for the October 2, 2010, race will be July 7, to July 9, according to Registrar of Voters Lucas Buller. On that ballot, expect to see races for mayors, police chiefs and councils in the communities of Ville Platte, Mamou and Basile. All school board seats will be up for re-election this fall.

The Ward Four Justice of the Peace seat, now being filled by Maxine Gautreau of Pine Prairie, will be on this ballot. Gautreaux was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Mandy Dardeau.

August 28, will be the first congressional primary race, and October 2, will be the second primary race. (Congressional candidates will face their party’s first primary on August 28. Those candidates receiving more than 50 percent of the vote will receive his or her party’s nomination. Otherwise the top two vote getters proceed to the second primary, October 2.)

November 2, will be the general election for one of the state’s U.S. Senator seats, the one presently held by David Vitter, as well as seats for Congressional District Five, now occupied by Rodney Alexandria, and Congressional District Seven, now occupied by Charles Boustany. This date will be used as the run-off date for local elections.

In the fall of 2011, (November 8, 2011) expect to see the governor’s seat on the ballot, as well as the state’s lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, commissioner of agriculture and forestry and commissioner of insurance seats.

See you at the polls.