By JIM BUTLER

The special election to fill the late Theodore Fountaine III’s unexpired term will not be held until next fall.

Fountaine died Nov 13. His new four-year term was to begin in January.

The Police Jury formalized the call at its meeting Monday, confirming action taken at a special meeting Nov 28.

At that meeting the jury appointed Ernest Nelson to fill the District D post until a successor is elected. The primary is Nov. 5.

That appointment was not listed on the posted agenda for the special meeting. However, the jury’s counsel advised it could make the appointment.

The presidential election on the same date creates a schedule that precluded the jury setting the special vote on the March 23 ballot.

In non-presidential vote years, qualifying for the March primary opens the last Wednesday in January.

But in presidential years that is pushed back to the third Wednesday in December, the 13th this year.

That timeline, impacted by a customary period of respect and Thanksgiving week, was evidently too tight for placing the District D matter on the ballot.

The jury had to make an appointment by Dec. 4 otherwise the governor would have done so.