BATON ROUGE — Candidates vying for the seat left behind by Judge Wilson Fields in the 19th JDC said they are making strides in reaching voters after the election maps were changed.

Candidates said after Judge Fields took his seat in the First Circuit Court of Appeals in March, they were already campaigning in the old subdistrict of Division O.

After the new maps were signed into law and implemented, candidate Vicky Jones said it changed everything.

"The budget that I had prior to July, we had to restructure and revamp after we became aware that the new map is what we would be following,” Jones said.

Candidate Dele Adebamiji said he thought he would be able to reach all voters within a short period of time, but with the new map, Division O grew three times larger.

“You have this plan like 'I’m going to the neighborhood. I’m going to knock on every door,' and then you see the new maps and it’s like 'Woah, wait a minute',” Adebamiji said.

Candidate Vernon Thomas said after the map changed, while campaigning, he came across voters who weren't aware they a part of the race. 

“It goes to the heart of who I am as a citizen. I believe everyone in Louisiana should have equal access to the ballot and no candidate should be excluded or diluted,” Thomas said.

Candidate Elzie Alford said he and other candidates are working to make sure voters know to make their voices heard at the polls. 

“We’re trying to make sure that we reach those voters in the outlined areas and we put information out to them,” Alford said.

After the alteration of the map, Judge Don Johnson, along with Vernon Thomas, Vicky Jones, and Dele Adebamiji filed a suit to still keep the old map in use for the election.

The judge struck down the challenge, and the new map is still in effect.

Candidates believe the sudden change is unfair and dilutes the representation of the district.

If you would like to hear from the candidates and learn more about them, there will be a forum held on Sept. 23 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church at 7 p.m.