St. Martinville – Over 400 ballots have been cast in early voting for municipal offices here and a tax renewal parishwide in the March 27 election, according to the St. Martin Parish Registrar of Voters office.

Walk-in early voting closed Saturday, but mail-in ballots will continue to be counted until election day.

In the last city election here in 2006, only 72 then-absentee ballots were cast. However, there was no other issue on the ballot back then. And unlike absentee voting, early voting as practiced now does not require an excuse.

There was also one more day to vote in person this year than in 2006.

According to the registrar’s office, 371 people voted in person at the courthouse in St. Martinville, and 17 at the St. Martin Parish Water District No. 1 building in Stephensville. As of Monday, the office had received 41 ballots by mail.

On the ballot in St. Martinville are Melinda “Mel” Mitchell and incumbent Thomas Nelson for mayor; Dumas Charles and incumbent Dennis Paul Williams for the District 3 City Council seat; incumbent Ronald Charles and Judy “Gillette” Rochon for the District 4 seat; and Sandra “Sue Mel” Batiste, incumbent Arthur Champ and Romanus “Ike” Robertson for the District 5 seat.

The proposition all the ballots is to renew a 10-year, 1.5 mill property tax for construction and maintenance of the Teche-Vermilion Fresh Water District system of pumps and valves. The 28-year-old system is designed primarily to combat saltwater intrusion along the coast.

The tax is projected to bring over $3.6 million a year in revenue.