ST. GABRIEL -- For residents of St. Gabriel, going to vote early got much easier on Saturday. For the first time, an early voting site was created for St. Gabriel at the St. Gabriel Community Center.

For years, if a St. Gabriel resident hoped to vote early, they'd either have to take a ferry or drive nearly 40 minutes to the Iberville Parish Courthouse in Plaquemine.

"Our administration made a commitment to the residents of St. Gabriel to make sure that they were more included in the parish," Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle said.

The parish government worked with the Iberville Registrar's office and the Secretary of State's office to have the center be an early voting site. The parish government says this is part of an effort to increase voter turnout.

"This site is currently going to be utilized for two days during this early voting cycle. It's going to be today and Monday," Daigle said.

Local voters were happy with the new site, including one who saved a long trip with her baby.

"It's 26 miles one way to Plaquemine, so it would take a good little bit, and sometimes you get to the ferry and you just miss the boat and it takes even longer," Jenny Dillemuth said.

The parish will continue to use the site for early voting from time to time.

"In the future, only for gubernatorial races and presidential races, this site will be a week-long site, where all residents can come for the whole week," Daigle said.

On Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, another early voting site will be available for Iberville Parish residents.

"And then next week, we're actually going to go to the Rosedale Community Center, and there's going to be early voting for the Grosse Tete, Rosedale, and Maringouin communities as well," Daigle said.

The Iberville Parish Courthouse in Plaquemine will also continue to operate as an early voting site throughout the early voting cycle. There is no early voting on Easter Sunday. Voting will continue Monday, April 21, and run through the 26.

Election day is May 3. There is only one item on Iberville Parish's ballot: a 15-year, 4-mill property tax renewal to fund library services. The millage generates around $4.87 million each year to fund the operations, maintenance, and capital expenditures for all branches of the Iberville Parish Library System.