Louisiana

State of Louisiana Elections and Voting

Election Day is November 5

  • October 7                    Deadline to register to vote via mail or in person
  • October 15                  Deadline to register to vote via the online portal
  • October 18                  First day of early voting
  • October 29                  Last day of early voting
  • November 1                Deadline to request an absentee ballot
  • November 4                Deadline for election authority to receive absentee ballot
  • November 5                Election Day

 

To register to vote in Louisiana, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen,
  • Be at least eighteen (18) years of age on Election Day (17 years olds can register to vote, and 16 year olds can register if registering in person at the Registrar of Voters Office or at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles)
  • Be a resident of Louisiana, and a resident of the parish in which you want to vote.
  • Must not be serving a sentence of imprisonment due to a felony conviction
  • Must not be subject to a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of your voting rights.

 

How to register to vote:

  • Online: Registering to vote or changing your registration is easy using the GeauxVote Online Registration System.
  • In person: Apply in person to register to vote at any Registrar of Voters Office or in one of the following locations: Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles; Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services; WIC offices; food stamp offices; Medicaid offices; offices serving persons with disabilities such as the Deaf Action Centers and Independent Living Offices; or Armed Forces recruitment offices.
  • By mail: Apply by mail by downloading the Louisiana Voter Registration Application, completing it and mailing it to your local Registrar of Voters Office. Please note that the list of offices for registrars of voters is also included on the form. You may also register by using a National Mail Voter Registration Form.

 

Voter ID Requirements

Each voter is required to identify themselves by giving their name and address to a commissioner and by presenting a photo ID, including one of the following:

  • a driver’s license
  • a Louisiana Special ID
  • LA Wallet digital driver’s license
  • a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture
  • some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.

If you do not have a driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID, a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture or some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature, you may still cast your vote by signature on a voter affidavit.

You may get a free Louisiana Special ID at the Office of Motor Vehicles by showing your voter information card. If you have misplaced your voter information card, contact your registrar of voters for a new one or print your own by logging into the Louisiana Voter Portal through the “Search by Voter” option.

Visit VoteRiders for more information about voter ID requirements in Louisiana.

 

Early In-Person Voting

You do not need a reason to vote early! All voters may vote early, just like they are voting on election day. Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at designated locations in the their parish.

For a detailed list of early voting locations in your parish, login to the voter portal. For a complete list of early voting locations for the entire state, please refer to early voting locations.

 

Absentee Voting

Louisiana voters may only vote absentee if they provide an accepted reason. Click here to learn about accepted excuses. You can submit an application requesting an absentee ballot through our online system, or you may print an application and deliver it to your registrar of voters via mail, fax, or hand delivery. It is recommended that if you are going to request an absentee ballot, that you apply as soon as possible, as there is no start date to apply.

If you registered to vote online or by mail and you have not previously voted in the parish, you are not eligible to vote absentee and must vote in person the first time, either during early voting or on election day. Exceptions include:

  • military or overseas citizens;
  • senior citizens (65+);
  • people who are homebound because of a disability;
  • students, who submit a copy of student ID or fee bill with the request;
  • citizens who appear in the registrar of voters office before the election to verify identity; and
  • participants in the state’s address confidentiality program.

 

Resources

 

Tribes in Louisiana

Federally recognized tribes

  • Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe
  • Jena Band of Choctaw Indians
  • Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana
  • Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana

State recognized tribes

  • Addai Caddo Tribe
  • Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimache Confederation of Muskogees
  • Choctaw-Apache Community of Ebarb
  • Clifton-Choctaw
  • Four Winds Tribe, Louisiana Cherokee Confederacy
  • Grand Caillou/Dulac Band
  • Isle de Jean Charles Band
  • Louisiana Choctaw Tribe
  • Pointe-au-Chien Tribe
  • United Houma Nation

Native Vote Coordinators

Sign up to be a local Native Vote coordinator today!

 

Major Party Contact Information

Democrat
Chair, Katie Bernhardt
www.louisianademocrats.org

Republican
Chairman, Louis Gurvich
www.la.gop

Posted in States.