Tina Marie Broussard has risen through the ranks of the registrar of voters’ office in the court house. She now sits behind the desk given to the Vermilion Parish registrar of voters. She is the first female in the parish to hold that title.
Making History: Broussard is Vermilion Parish's first female Registrar of Voters
On Thursday, the Vermilion Parish Police Jury interviewed and then hired the new registrar of voters for the parish. It was also a historical hire.
The policy jury unanimously selected Tina Marie Broussard as the next registrar of voters. She is no stranger to the office.
For the last 22 years, she has worked in the registrar of voters office under two former registrar of voters, Jimmy Domingues and Mike Bertrand. She began working in the office as a green 17-year-old kid who needed a job to help her single mother pay bills, and at the same time, trying to save money to help purchase a car to go to college.
Since 1999, she has risen through the ranks of the office and learned everything there is to know about voting, signing up people to vote and helping run an election.
For the last three years, she had been the Chief Deputy Registrar under Bertrand. Bertrand officially retired on July 4, and Broussard took over as the interim registrar of voters.
The reason the hiring of Broussard was historical was because the former registrar of voters were men.
Broussard is the first female registrar of voter in Vermilion Parish. She now joins Diane Meaux Broussard (first female clerk of court in Vermilion Parish), Kathy Broussard (first female tax assessor in Vermilion Parish) and Linda Duhon (the first female Police Jury administrator).
When she reads the names on the list above, Broussard said she feels “surreal.”
“I feel so surreal, there are no words to describe it,” said Broussard. “To think when I started as a 17-year-old student worker who knew nothing to where I am now. It’s just unreal. I am very humbled that it was a unanimous vote. “
She is also confident she can do the job.
“I guess with any new position, you can be a little nervous because you want to be the best at your job,” said Broussard. “But I do have faith and confidence in myself that I am the most qualified person for this job. I definitely feel I will do great things for the voters of Vermilion Parish.”
The Registrar of Voters is responsible for the registration of voters in the parish and for the administration and enforcement of laws, rules and regulations relating to the registration of voters, according to the Louisiana Election Code. The Registrar is also responsible for conducting Early-Voting and Absentee-Voting.