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Louisiana

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Upcoming Election Dates & Registration Deadlines

Some elections in this list are local and do not apply for all Louisiana voters. Please click the “View all” button below to view all election dates in your state.

Next Election: Municipal
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Municipal General

Registration Deadlines

Saturday, April 6, 2024
By Mail (postmarked)
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
In Person
Wednesday, March 27, 2024

05

Nov
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
General
Open Primary/ Presidential/Congressional

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Louisiana Voting Information

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee voting is available if you meet specific criteria. The last day to request your ballot varies, as does the deadline to return the voted ballot. The deadline for most voters to request their absentee ballot is four days before Election Day. You can return your absentee ballot request form through mail, in person at your local elections office, or online. For most voters, the deadline to return the voted absentee ballot is a day before the election. You can sign up to track your absentee ballot on your Secretary of State website.  Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day.

Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person may only do so by a provisional ballot. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local county clerk contact info here.

Please see below for more information.

You must have a reason to vote by mail, unless you are a military or overseas citizen. There are 12 reasons to vote by mail:

  • Senior citizen 65 years of age or older
  • A home or a nursing home or veterans' home resident and you have been previously approved for the Disability program, or you are disabled, home bound or a nursing or veterans' home resident and you are submitting current proof of disability with your application. For more information on the Disability Program, click here.
  • A student, instructor, or professor (or spouse or dependents of the following,) in an institution of higher learning located outside the parish.
  • A minister, priest, rabbi, or clergy (or spouse or dependents of the following,) assigned to a religious post outside the parish.
  • A person who is or who expects to be temporarily outside the territorial limits of the state or absent from the parish during early voting and on Election Day.
  • A person who has moved after the registration books closed (30 days prior to an election) to another parish and the new residence is more than 100 miles from the parish of former residence.
  • A sequestered jury member.
  • A person who expects to be hospitalized on Election Day and did not have such knowledge until after early voting week passed.
  • A person who expects to be hospitalized on Election Day and who was hospitalized during early voting.
  • A person who was hospitalized and released prior to an election but who is either hospitalized or restricted to bed during early voting and on Election Day.
  • A person who by virtue of employment or occupation expects to be out of their precinct during early voting and on Election Day.
  • You are involuntarily confined in an institution for mental treatment outside your parish of registration and you are not interdicted and not judicially declared incompetent.
  • You are incarcerated or expect to be incarcerated in an institution inside or outside your parish of registration and you are not under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony

To request normal absentee ballots by mail, you must complete and return a request for absentee ballot indicating the reason you are not able to vote in person absentee or in person on Election Day.

You may request an absentee ballot as early as 60 days prior to the election. Your voted ballot must be witnessed and signed in order to be accepted.

Timeline to request an absentee ballot by mail

  • Military Personnel: Anytime before 4:30pm on the day before election day
  • US Citizens residing outside the US: Anytime before 4:30pm on the day before election day
  • Hospitalization: By 4:30pm on the day before election day
  • All others: Anytime before 4:30pm on the 4th day before election day

Deadlines for returning your voted ballots

  • Military Personnel: By 8pm on election day
  • US citizens residing outside the US: By 8pm on election day
  • Hospitalization: By 8pm on election day
  • All others: By 4:30pm on the day before election day
Request your Ballot
Campaign Finance Information

For information on federal campaign contributions, please visit Open Secrets.

For information on state campaign contributions, please visit your state's resource.

Candidate and Ballot Measure Information

Information on local, state and federal candidates and ballot measures may be available here.

 

Early Voting

Voters who wish to vote early may do so at their parish Registrar of Voters office or designated voting location in the parish from 14 days to 7 days before a scheduled election (For presidential elections, early voting is 18 to 7 days before the election). You do not need a reason to vote early.

For more information on dates and locations for early voting, please use your state's resource.

Election Dates

The next election date can be found here https://www.vote411.org/louisiana.

Contact your local Board of Elections for more information.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to vote you must be:

  • A U.S. citizen
  • A resident of Louisiana
  • At least 17 years old (16 years old if registering in person at the Registrar of Voters office or Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles) and 18 years old prior to the next election to vote
  • Not currently under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony
  • Not currently under a judgment of interdiction for mental incompetence

Incarcerated Voters & Voters with Felony Convictions: 

In Louisiana, you lose your right to vote if you are convicted of a felony or an election offense. You regain your eligibility upon the completion of your sentence (including parole or probation) or five years after your release from prison, whichever is sooner. Individuals convicted of an election offense will have their rights restored upon completing their sentence, including parole and probation.  

Voters without Traditional Residence: 

In Louisiana, voters must provide a residence address for voter registration purposes. When providing the residence address, post office boxes should not be used. Individuals without a permanent or fixed home may draw a map in the designated box on their voter registration form to indicate the exact location of where they stay. They should write the names of the nearest streets and mark an X to represent their primary location. They may use dots to indicate schools, churches, stores, or landmarks near their residence, and include the name of the landmark. If the individual does not receive postal service at their residence address, they must provide a separate mailing address, including the number, street, city, state, and zip code. A post office box can be used for this purpose. 

ID Needed for Voter Registration

If you register to vote in person at a parish registrar of voters office, you are required to prove age, residency, and identity. You may submit your current state driver's license, birth certificate, or other documentation which reasonably and sufficiently establishes your identity, age, and residency.

If you don't have a photo ID you can also bring a utility bill, payroll check or government document that includes your name and address.

To register to vote online you must have either a Louisiana driver's license or ID card to complete the form.

ID Needed for Voting

To vote, you must present a valid photo ID.

Acceptable photo ID includes:

  • A Louisiana driver's license
  • A Louisiana special ID card (you can get one for free at the Office of Motor Vehicles by showing your voter information card).
  • A Louisiana Wallet digital driver's license
  • Any other generally recognized picture ID card that contains your name and signature

If you do not have any form of ID, you can still vote by signature on a voter affidavit.

You can also get a free Louisiana Special ID at the Office of Motor Vehicles by showing your voter information card.

Voters can call or text 844-338-8743 at any time to reach VoteRiders Voter ID Helpline

Official Results

Official results are never available on Election Day. Election officials are working around the clock to count an unprecedented number of ballots, and it’s essential that they take the time to make sure every vote is counted.

Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day. Provisional ballots are counted 3 days after the election.

Official election results will be uploaded on Louisiana’s Secretary of State website as they become available. 

Official Results
Overseas and Military Voters

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.

If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Poll Worker Information

You can make sure we have safe, fair, and efficient elections for all. Become a poll worker today!

In order to be a poll worker in Louisiana, you must:

  • Be registered to vote in Louisiana
  • Be entitled to compensation
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Political affiliation required
  • Be a resident of election precinct
  • Complete required training
  • Students who are at least 17 years of age who are otherwise a qualified voter may work if they are registered as a high school senior
  • Be a registered voter who does not need any assistance

To sign up, contact your local board of elections.

Polling Place Hours

Polls will be open from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm on all Tuesday elections, and from 7:00am to 8:00pm on all Saturday elections.

Polling Place Locator

Find the latest updates on relocated polling locations in Louisiana by clicking here. Polling locations that have not been moved are not included in this list. For additional information regarding your polling location, please visit Louisiana's Voter Portal or contact your county clerk.

Primary Election Process

Louisiana runs a unique primary system that is more like a general election with a runoff scheduled if needed. On the general election date, all candidates run on the same ticket. If no candidate receives the majority of votes (over 50%) then a runoff election is scheduled for 6 weeks later.

If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisional Voting

There are several reasons why you may vote a provisional ballot.

Such as:

  • You are in the parish where you are registered to vote and you are voting at the wrong precinct.
  • You are in a precinct that is not in the parish where you are registered to vote.
  • You are not registered to vote in Louisiana, and you enter a precinct to vote.

For all these instances, you may vote a paper provisional ballot for federal offices, you will not be allowed to vote on the voting machines for state, local or municipal offices, propositions or constitutional amendments.

Provisional ballots are counted by 3 days after the election. If you would like to know if it was counted, please utilize your state's resource. Voters should wait at least 7 days after an election to check the status.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

Voters who are physically unable to vote in person at the polls on Election Day and unable to vote in person at the registrar's office may be eligible for the special program for physically handicapped voters. Call your parish registrar of voters office and ask for more details to see if you are eligible. Disabled voters may go to the front of the line at their polling place.

Proof of disability is required to be filed with the Registrar of Voters either in person or through the mail. Proof of disability include:

  • A complete physicians form
  • Copy of a current mobility impaired ID card issued by the office of motor vehicles
  • Copy of current documentation showing eligibility for disability benefits from a government agency

For more information, you can utilize the American Association of People With Disabilities (AAPD) resource.

Registration Deadline

You must be registered 30 days prior to an election (20 days if registering online) to be eligible to vote in that particular election.

You can now register to vote online! If you submit your application online you must have a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card number to complete the process. You will also need to enter the last four digits of your social security number on the form. 

You may also register to vote by mail or in person by downloading the Louisiana Voter Registration Application, completing it and mailing it or turning it in yourself to your local Registrar of Voters Office. If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the election in which you want to vote in.

Time Off To Vote

Time off to vote is subject to the employer, there is no requirement for employers to grant time off to vote for employees.

Verify Voter Registration

To verify your voter registration status click here!

Voting Machines

The voting system used in Louisiana is DRE.

Direct Recording Electronic (DRE): This is the newest kind of system in use in the U.S. All the information about who and what you are voting for is on an electronic screen like a TV or computer screen.

There are many variations of DREs because lots of companies are inventing new ones, and many cities, counties and states are trying them out. Usually, after you have signed in, the poll workers will give you a card that you slide into a device to start your voting session.

Some of these devices will show all of the candidates and ballot choices on one big screen. Often, with these big screen devices you push a button next to the name of the candidate you want to vote for (or yes or no on a ballot measure). On other DREs, the screen is set up to show pages. On each screen or page, there will probably be one thing to vote on. For example, on one screen or page, you might vote for president. Then you might move to the next page to vote for senator. Often these small-screen devices have a touch screen, where you touch the screen next to the name of the person you want to vote for. Other devices have a key pad. And some have a keyboard, so you can write in the name of someone you want to vote for.

You let the system know you are finished voting by pushing a button, touching the screen or entering something on a keypad.

You can learn more about voting systems by checking out the Elections Assistance Commission's (EAC) resource.

Personalized voting information

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Louisiana Department of State

Secretary of State

PO Box 94125

8549 United Plaza Blvd.

Baton Rouge 70804-9125


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