Voter Registration: Louisiana
General Date: Nov. 18, 2023
VOTER REGISTRATION
Registration Deadline:
-Online Registration System: Voters must be registered at least 20 days prior to an election if registering to be eligible to vote in that particular election. Once you have completed the application, you will be allowed to either print and mail your application, or if verified by the Office of Motor Vehicles, submit your application electronically. If you plan to submit electronically, you must have your Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card in hand when you begin the process. There is an audit code on the card that you must enter. The audit code is a four digit number labeled AUDIT on the front of the license.
-In person or by mail registration: Voters must be registered at least 30 days prior to an election if registering to be eligible to vote in that particular election. You can apply in person at any Registrar of Voters Office.
Party Affiliation: Presently only registered Democratic voters can vote in the Democratic Party primary, registered Republicans in the Republican Party primary, and registered Independents in the Independent Party primary. These primaries are closed to all other registered voters.
Your party affiliation can be changed by completing another voter registration application. You may make changes online. All changes made at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through our GeauxVote Online Registration System with a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail are effective for that election, otherwise the change cannot become effective until the next election. (If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the first election in which you seek the change.)
VOTER REGISTRATION QUALIFICATIONS
Age: To register you must be at least 17 years old (16 years at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles or Registrar of Voters Office), but the voter must be 18 years old to vote
Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen
Residency: Must reside in Louisiana and the parish in which you seek to register.
Mental Competency: Not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights
Felony Convictions: Not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony or, if under such an order not have been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last five years and not be under an order of imprisonment related to a felony conviction for election fraud or any other election offense pursuant to La. R.S. 18:1461.2
ID Requirements: If you plan to submit the application electronically, you must have your Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card in hand when you begin the process.
If registering in person at a parish Registrar of Voters Office, you are required to prove age, residency and identity. You must submit your current Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special identification card, if you have one, or your social security card, birth certificate or other documentation which reasonably and sufficiently establishes your identity, age and residency.
If you do not have any of these, you may provide a picture ID, a utility bill, payroll check, or government document that includes your name and address.
OBTAINING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM
Online: Louisiana online registration
In person: Apply in person to register to vote at any Registrar of Voters Office.
You may also register in person at any 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
-Armed Forces recruitment offices
By mail/ in writing: Apply by mail by downloading the Louisiana Voter Registration Application form. Complete the form, and return it to your local Registrar of Voters office.
You may also register by using a National Mail Voter Registration Form. (If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the first election in which you seek to vote.)
By fax: Faxed voter registration forms are not accepted.
If you moved: If you have changed residence inside your parish after registering to vote, you should notify the registrar of voters in your parish of any changes to your registration or make changes online.
VERIFYING YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS
Online: Voter registration verification
Phone: If you cannot access your voter status online, contact your local registrar of voters.
ABSENTEE BALLOT QUALIFICATIONS
Who can vote absentee: In Louisiana, you must have a reason to be eligible to absentee vote, unless you are a military or overseas voter. There are specific reasons listed below that qualify you to vote absentee. Citizens in the following categories may register for absentee voting:
- Senior Citizen
- Nursing Home
- Higher Education:
- Clergy
- Temporarily absent
- Moved out of Parish
- Involuntary confinement
- Hospitalized
- Offshore
- Incarcerated
- Address Confidentiality Program
- Juror
- Physical Disability
- Homebound
For elaborations on each of these categories, click here.
TIMELINE TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BY MAIL
General and Disabled Applications: Applicants must request a ballot by 4:30 p.m. CST on the 4th day before election day.
Military, Overseas or Hospitalized Applications: Military personnel and/or their dependents; U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S.; or voters that are hospitalized must request their ballot by 4:30 p.m. CST on the day before election day.
OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
Online: You may request an absentee by mail ballot by logging in to the Louisiana Voter Portal and following these steps:
Click the 'Search By Voter' button.
Type in your First Name, Last Name and Zip Code or Birth Month and Year and then click the 'Submit' button;
Click the 'Request Absentee Ballot' link found under the Quick Links heading; and
Complete requested information and submit.
Note: You must be logged in to the Voter Portal as the voter for whom the request is intended to electronically submit a request for an absentee ballot.
Print and Mail Application: Print an application to request an absentee by mail ballot which you can complete and deliver to your parish registrar of voters. Delivery may be by U.S. Postal Service, commercial carrier, hand delivery or fax. If hand delivered or faxed, the application can only be for you or your immediate family member. Select the application that applies to you:
-Military or Overseas Application Form
Military and overseas voting: Military and overseas voters could receive the ballot electronically as well as by mail & fax. If you choose to receive the ballot electronically, you will be required to submit your email address. Louisiana's law provides for the protection from disclosure of your electronic mail address, along with your social security number, driver's license number, day and month of date of birth and mother's maiden name. For more information about military and overseas voting click on this link.
SUBMITTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT
General and Disabled Voters: Voted ballots must be received by your parish registrar of voters by 4:30 p.m. CST on the day before election day.
Military, Overseas or Hospitalized Voters: Voted ballots by military personnel and/or their dependents; U.S. citizens residing outside the U.S.; or voters that are hospitalized must be received by your parish registrar of voters by 8 p.m. CST on election day.
If you feel that you will not be able to return your ballot timely, you may contact your registrar of voters for alternate methods to return your ballot. Alternatively, you may contact your registrar of voters and may be eligible to request that an immediate family member be allowed to pick up the necessary election materials from the Registrar of Voters Office.
STATUS OF YOUR ABSENTEE BALLOT
You can track the status of your absentee by mail ballot.
REPLACEMENT BALLOT
If you spoil your ballot, you may request a replacement ballot from your registrar of voters prior to submitting a voted ballot.
EARLY VOTING
Early voting qualifications: You do not need a reason to vote early. All voters may vote early, just like they are voting on election day.
Other information for early voting: Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at designated locations in the parish from 14 days to 7 days prior to any scheduled election. For a complete list of the locations of parish Registrar of Voters Offices and designated early voting locations, please refer to early voting locations.
Refer to the schedule for early voting time periods for upcoming elections and refer to the schedule of elections for future time periods.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
Polls open at 7 a.m. for SATURDAY elections and at 6 a.m. for TUESDAY elections. Polls close at 8 p.m. All voters in line at 8 p.m. have the right to vote. When you go to the polls to cast your vote in an election, be sure to take 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 the applicant's name and picture; or some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.
If you do not have a driver's license, Louisiana Special ID 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. For more information about Provisional Voting click here
All registered voters may obtain a free Louisiana special identification card by presenting a voter information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles.
Never wear any campaign shirt, hat, and button or pin when voting.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Verifying Registration: Louisiana voter registration verification
Deciding how to vote: https://www.votesmart.org/
Polling Place: Polling place indicator
How to Vote: For Louisiana sample ballot, voting systems and for accessibility options, click here.
Getting your vote counted: Election information and vote-training resources
Problems with voting: Louisiana HAVA complaint form. Complaints that may involve violations of the election code, including but not necessarily limited to those areas listed above, should be reported to the Elections Compliance Unit at 800-722-5305.
Verifying provisional ballot status: Provisional voter search
Verifying absentee ballot status: Louisiana Voter Portal