Voting in Louisiana

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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Louisiana:

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year, click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Voter registration

The table below displays voter registration information specific to Louisiana's 2025 election cycle.

Voter registration in Louisiana: March 29, 2025, election.

Could people register to vote online? If so, what was the link?

voterportal.sos.la.gov

Could voters check their registration status online? If so, what was the link?

voterportal.sos.la.gov

Could voters update their registration online? If so, what was the link?

voterportal.sos.la.gov

What was the deadline for registering in person?

Feb. 26, 2025

What was the deadline for registering by mail?

Feb. 26, 2025

Was the mail-in registration deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Postmarked

What was the online registration deadline, if available?

March 8, 2025

Was Election Day registration available?

No

Was same-day registration available during early voting?

N/A


Eligibility and registration details

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Louisiana, one must provide documentary proof of United States citizenship and be a resident of the state and parish in which they register. A voter must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.[1]

Registration completed via mail or in person must occur at least 30 days before Election Day. Registration completed online must occur at least 20 days before Election Day. Registrants must present a valid form of identification to register. Pre-registration is available beginning at age 16.[1]

Voters may register in person at any Registrar of Voters office or any of the following places:[1]

  • Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
  • Louisiana Department of Social Services
  • WIC offices
  • Food stamp offices
  • Medicaid offices
  • Offices and agencies serving people with disabilities
  • Military recruitment offices


In-person voting

The table below displays in-person voting information specific to Louisiana's 2025 election cycle.

In-person voting in Louisiana: March 29, 2025, election.

Were all voters required to show ID?

Yes

What kinds of ID were accepted?

Driver's license Louisiana Special ID LA Wallet digital driver's license U.S. military photo ID Other generally recognized photo ID containing voter's name and signature

Where could voters learn more about the state's voter ID requirements?

www.sos.la.gov

When did early voting start?

March 15, 2025

When did early voting end?

March 22, 2025

Where can I find early voting locations?

voterportal.sos.la.gov

Was weekend voting available?

N/A

Where could voters learn more about early voting?

www.sos.la.gov

What were the poll times on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. (CDT)

Where can I find voting locations?

voterportal.sos.la.gov


Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Louisiana, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central time for Tuesday elections. For Saturday elections, polls open at 7:00 a.m. If the polls close while a voter is in line, he or she will still be permitted to vote.[2][3]

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Louisiana requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[4]

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of August 14, 2024. Click here to ensure you have the most current information.

  • Louisiana driver's license
  • Louisiana special identification card
  • LA Wallet digital driver's license
  • Military ID or other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the voter

Voters who do not have accepted ID may vote by completing a voter identification affidavit. By law, voters who sign an affidavit may be challenged.[5]

Registered voters can bring their voter information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles to receive a free Louisiana special identification card.[4]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Louisiana permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.


Absentee/mail-in voting

See also: Absentee/mail-in voting

The table below displays absentee voting information specific to Louisiana's 2025 election cycle.

Absentee voting in Louisiana: March 29, 2025, election.

Were there limits on who can request a ballot?

Yes

What was the deadline for requesting a ballot by mail?

March 25, 2025

Was the request deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Received

What was the deadline for returning a voted ballot by mail?

March 28, 2025

Was the return deadline a postmark or receipt deadline?

Received

Were there notary or witness requirements?

N/A


The following individuals are eligible to vote absentee in Louisiana:[6]

  1. Senior citizens, 65 years of age or older
  2. Voters who expect to be temporarily absent from the state or their parish during the early voting period and on election day
  3. Offshore workers
  4. Residents of nursing homes, veterans' homes, or hospitals
  5. Students, instructors, or professors (as well as their spouses and dependents) who are living outside of their parish
  6. Ministers, priests, rabbis, or other members of the clergy who are assigned outside of their parish
  7. Voters who moved more than 100 miles from the seat of their former parish within 30 days of an election
  8. Voters who are involuntarily confined to a mental institution and have not been judicially declared incompetent
  9. Voters who expect to be hospitalized on Election Day
  10. Incarcerated voters who have not been convicted of a felony
  11. Participants in the secretary of state's Address Confidentiality Program
  12. Sequestered jurors


Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for people convicted of a felony

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State's office,

“ To reinstate your voter registration that was suspended for a felony conviction, you must appear in person at the registrar of voters office and provide documentation from the appropriate correction official showing that you are no longer under an order of imprisonment or, if under such order of imprisonment, that you have not been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last five years and that you are not under an order of imprisonment related to a felony conviction for election fraud or any other election offense.

​The personal appearance requirement does not apply to a person approved as eligible for the Special Program for Handicapped Voters prior to January 1, 2010, or a person who has submitted to the registrar a current proof of disability from a physician as described in La R.S. 18:177(A)(2)(6)."[7][8]

”

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[9]


Election administration agencies

Election agencies

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See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Louisiana can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Louisiana Registrar of Voters

Click here for a list

Secretary of State, Elections Division

Physical address: 8585 Archives Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Mailing address: P.O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
Phone: 225-922-0900
Toll free: 1-800-883-2805
Fax: 225-922-0945
Website: http://www.sos.la.gov/

Louisiana Ethics Administration Program

Physical address: 617 North Third Street
LaSalle Building, Suite 10-36
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
Mailing address: P.O. Box 4368
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821
Phone: 225-219-560
Toll free: 1-800-842-6630
Fax: 225-381-7271
Email: https://ethics.la.gov/ContactUsEmail.aspx
Website: https://ethics.la.gov/default.aspx

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 301-563-3919
Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
Website: https://www.eac.gov


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See also

Elections in Louisiana


External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed August 15, 2024
  2. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "FAQ: Voting on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  3. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  5. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana voters' bill of rights and voting information," accessed August 15, 2024
  6. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote Absentee," accessed April 11, 2023
  7. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed August 15, 2024
  8. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  9. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," August 15, 2024
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