VIDALIA — Polls in today’s local and state election will open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

The ballot includes: four of the seats in the Concordia Parish School Board, Vidalia city judge and marshal and the Ridgecrest mayor.

The position of lieutenant governor will also be on the ballot.

The ballots will also include voting for two possible changes to the Louisiana State Constitution.

One proposition, if approved, would require the Louisiana Legislature to begin its annual session two weeks earlier. The second proposition would exempt members of the governor’s office who handle emergencies from civil service protections.

Concordia Parish Clerk of Court Clyde Webber said he expects to see approximately a 25 to 30 percent turnout for the election.

“Hopefully there will be a whole lot more than that,” he said. “The last few elections have not had a strong turnout.”

Webber said the election is extremely important to those in the parish, and that people should come out and vote.

“We get to choose who is going to run our school system,” he said.

According the registrar of voters in Concordia Parish, there have been 294 early voters so far for the election from a pool of 13,771 registered voters in the parish.

Webber said Concordia Parish has 21 precincts. Voters unsure of their precinct can contact the Concordia Parish registrar’s office at 318-336-7770.

The ballot will include:

For Vidalia City Court Marshal: “Jim” Boren and Frank Duson.

For School Board District 1, Place A: Fred T. Butcher and Lillian Thomas King.

For School Board District 3, Place B: James H. Cockerham, Cynthia “Cyndie” Dillon and Cheryl Probst.

For School Board District 4, Place A: Ronnie Bradford and Charles E. Minor.

School Board District 5, Place A: Dorothea M. Davis and Martha J. Rabb.

Mayor Town of Ridgecrest: Brandon Davis and Kevin Graham.

For Lieutenant Governor: James “Jim” Crowley, “Jay” Dardenne, Kevin Davis, Caroline Fayard, “Butch” Gautreaux, “Sammy” Kershaw, Melanie J. McKnight and Roger Villere.

The list of people running unopposed includes:

Vidalia City Judge: George C. Murray Jr.

For School Board District 1, Place B: Mary H. Campbell.

For School Board District 2: Raymond Riley.

For School Board District 3, Place A: Gary Parnham.

For School Board District 4, Place B: Daryle Price.

For School Board District 5, Place B: Darlene Baker.

For Chief of Police in Ridgecrest: Dale Cowan.

For Alderman District C in Ferriday: Gail Pryor.