How to Vote in Louisiana’s Elections

The mayor of New Orleans is up for election in Louisiana in 2025, among other races. The primary election is Saturday, Oct. 11. If there is no majority vote winner in the primary, then the top two candidates will go to a run-off election in the general election on Saturday, Nov. 15. Below are some key dates for the primary election.

Voter registration deadline: Wednesday, Sept. 10 (in person, by mail), and Saturday, Sept. 20 (online)

Early voting available: Saturday, Sept. 27 to Saturday, Oct. 4
Primary Election Day: Saturday, Oct. 11

Deadline to request an absentee ballot: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Deadline to return an absentee ballot: Friday, Oct. 10 (except for military, overseas and hospitalized voters)

Gerald Herbert/AP Photo

• On Aug. 1, Louisiana stopped recognizing the Independent Party as part of its shift toward closed primaries for certain elections (U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Supreme Court, Public Service Commission and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education), starting in 2026. Voters who are registered as Independent will have their affiliation removed and automatically switched to “no party” and be mailed a new voter ID card by the Secretary of State’s office. The municipal primary elections in 2025 remain open primaries. 

Lawmakers in 2024 passed several voting-related measures that went into effect Aug. 1, 2024:

• People risk penalties if they help more than one non-family member with an absentee ballot certificate. A law targeting ballot harvesting restricts people from delivering more than one absentee ballot via mail unless it is for immediate family. Voters must fill out all required information on an absentee-by-mail ballot certificate or risk having their vote not be counted. 

• Nursing home residents may participate in a special early voting program two weeks before early voting starts, instead of one week. 

• Online: Use the state’s GeauxVote registration system to register or update your information. You will need the four-digit audit code on your Louisiana driver’s license or the state’s special ID card to submit your application electronically.  

• By mail: Download and print an application from the secretary of state’s website. Mail your completed application to your parish registrar of voters; the address is on the form. 

• In person: Go to any parish registrar of voters' office and fill out a voter registration form. Bring your current Louisiana driver’s license, Social Security card, birth certificate or other form of ID that proves your identity, age and residency. You may also register in person at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles or other state agencies.   

Check whether you’re registered to vote through the Louisiana Voter Portal.

The deadline to register to vote is 20 days prior to an election if registering online or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail. If mailing your application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to election day.

Louisiana does not permit registration on Election Day.

Louisiana has an open primary system (sometimes called a “jungle primary”), where all eligible voters may cast a vote in the election regardless of party affiliation. All candidates for office run together in one election, and the majority vote wins. If there is no majority vote winner, then the two candidates with the most votes compete in a run-off election called a general election. This open primary system is used for most state, parish and municipal offices.

Closed primaries are for presidential preference primary elections and, starting in 2026, primaries for U.S. senators, U.S. representatives, state Supreme Court justices, Public Service commissioner or Board of Elementary and Secondary Education members.

Anyone 65 or older is eligible to vote absentee by mail. Others are eligible to vote absentee for approved reasons — such living with a disability or being absent from their parish or outside the state during the voting period. You will need to list the election dates you want to vote via absentee ballot on your application.

• Online: Log in to the Louisiana Voter Portal, click Search by Voter, then enter your name, ZIP code, birth month and year. Then click the “request absentee ballot” link and follow the instructions. 

• By mail or fax: Print a general application form from the secretary of state’s website, or call your parish registrar of voters to request an application. Mail or fax your completed form to your parish registrar of voters.  

• In person: Print and complete an application form, then hand-deliver it to your parish registrar of voters. You may have an immediate family member deliver it for you, but that person may need to fill out additional paperwork. 

Applications for absentee ballots must be received by your parish registrar of voters by 4:30 p.m. four days before Election Day; military, overseas or hospitalized applicants have until 4:30 p.m. the day before Election Day.

Disabled, military and overseas voters should contact their registrar of voters or visit the secretary of state’s website for instructions on voting absentee.

Follow the printed instructions for returning your completed ballot. A step-by-step guide is on the secretary of state’s website.

• By mail: Mail your completed ballot with proper postage to your parish registrar of voters.  

• In person: Hand-deliver your ballot to your parish registrar of voters. You may have an immediate family member deliver it for you, but that person will need to sign a statement certifying their relationship to you.  

Voted ballots must be received by your parish registrar of voters by 4:30 p.m. the day before Election Day, unless you are a military, overseas or hospitalized voter, in which case your ballot must be received by your parish registrar of voters by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Track your absentee ballot through the Louisiana Voter Portal.

All registered voters may vote early, before Election Day, at their designated parish location. Early voting starts 14 days before any scheduled election and ends seven days before it, running from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. When one or more state holidays fall within an early voting period, the first day for early voting starts 15 days before the date of the election.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. You may cast a ballot as long as you are in line at 8 p.m. Use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find out where you vote on Election Day, or call your parish registrar of voters. The secretary of state’s office posts sample ballots online.

You must show an acceptable photo ID such as a Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana special identification card or U.S. military ID card. Voters may show a digital copy of their license using the app LA Wallet. Registered voters without an ID can sign an affidavit with information to verify their identity.

Voters with disabilities may receive assistance while voting as long as the assistance does not come from political candidates, employers or union agents, commissioner in charge, or staff for a state residential facility.

If you need help voting, you can either file a statement with your registrar in person or by mail before the election, or provide documentation to the commissioner on Election Day, such as a letter from a medical doctor. Visit the secretary of state’s website for examples of acceptable documentation.

A voter with a visible disability and the person helping them vote may go to the front of the line at polling places. Audio ballots are available to help the hearing-impaired.

Voters with disabilities have the option to vote via absentee ballot and can apply to vote absentee for all elections. The Disabled Application for Absentee by Mail Ballot requires proof of a disability, such as a doctor’s letter, a copy of your mobility-impaired ID card issued by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, or a copy of your Social Security disability benefits.

If you live in a nursing home, you can apply to participate in a special early voting program held two weeks before early voting starts. A registrar will visit your facility to oversee voting. Find more information at the secretary of state’s website.

Editor’s note: This guide was published on Jan. 26, 2024, and has been updated with new information.

Michelle Tuccitto Sullo is a contributing writer covering state and federal policy. She previously served as managing editor of the Hartford Business Journal in Connecticut and has worked for the New Haven Register, Connecticut Law Tribune and New Haven Biz.

Emily Paulin is a reporter for AARP covering nursing homes, health care, and federal and state policy. Her work has also appeared in Broadsheet, an Australian lifestyle publication.

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