The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury appointed Kim Fontenot as the new Calcasieu Parish Registrar of Voters.
Fontenot, who has been Chief Deputy to the Registrar since 2015, has been serving as interim Registrar of Voters since Mar. 23 – the day Angie Quienalty, the former Calcasieu Parish Registrar of Voters who held the position since 1995, retired.
The four finalists for the job – Fontenot; Thad Mayo, vice president of Mayo Land and Title Co.; Crystal Long, a professional librarian and Russell Price, a history teacher at Barbe High School – all addressed the Police Jury at its Apr. 17 meeting.
Fontenot has been employed at the Registrar’s Office since 2002. A graduate of Barbe High School and a resident of Lake Charles, she is a Certified Elections & Registrations Administrator (CERA).
As the new Registrar, Fontenot said she wants to continue to educate the voters on elections and issues on the ballots in order to increase voter turnout. She also wants to encourage those not registered to vote to register.
Members of a Registrar of Voters Interview Committee, which included Police Jury President Kevin White and police jurors Shelly Mayo, Francis Andrepont, Hal McMillin and Brian Abshire met on Apr. 11 and recommended that the four candidates be considered by the Police Jury.
The Police Jury, who is responsible for appointing a new Registrar of Voters, had 30 days to find a replacement. While the Police Jury is responsible for appointing the Registrar, it has no legal authority regarding oversight, discipline, or setting office policies for the office.
The position of Registrar of Voters is a lifetime appointment.
