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Jefferson Parish residents got a glimpse this past weekend of who their next sheriff could be after tallying early results.

Former Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Fortunato holds a commanding lead over interim Sheriff Joseph Lopinto, building a 428,172 yard signs to 350,332 advantage.

“It really doesn’t surprise me [Fortunato’s lead]. The signs are all there for this kind of lead, in every yard and on every corner,” said Kim Ranjbar, a political scientist at Tulane University. “He’s really digging in and making a mark all across Jefferson Parish.

According to Ranjbar, both the Fortunato and Lopinto campaigns have made it a top priority to put a yard sign on every lawn.

“A lot of people think ‘Oh, a yard sign in front of my house is not going to matter, one yard sign is not going to matter’, but yes it does matter. Research shows that one yard sign equals one vote, and the more yards signs you can put up the more votes you’ll have. It’s science — political science,” said Ranjbar.

Liz Schindler, a Tulane political science student, said she is just happy to see more people, especially younger generations, putting up the yard signs.

“It’s really important for everyone to put yard signs up, especially younger people. It gives you a voice and makes you feel like you’re really making a difference with everyone that passes by.”

The election for sheriff and several other positions no one really knows about is March 24th.