Louisiana Voting Requirements & Information

U.S. Vote Foundation’s Louisiana Voting Requirements and Information directory informs you of Louisiana voting rules and options. It focuses on Louisiana-specific voting guidelines and information for all voters, including domestic, overseas, and military voters. Here you can find out about Louisiana voter eligibility, voter ID requirements, registration, absentee and early voting options, ways to transmit voting documents and links to specific-Louisiana voting tools. It's an all-in-one Louisiana voting resource.

Upcoming Election Dates & Deadlines

Louisiana Federal and State Elections

Sat Mar 23, 2024 - Louisiana Presidential Preference Primary

Voter Registration Deadline

  • In-Person Request by
    Wed Feb 21, 2024
  • Post Received by

    For registrations without postmark


    Wed Feb 21, 2024
  • Postmarked by
    Wed Feb 21, 2024
  • Online by
    Sat Mar 2, 2024

Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

Tue Mar 19, 2024 4:30PM CDT

Absentee Ballot Return Deadline

Fri Mar 22, 2024 4:30PM CDT

Early Voting Available

Early Voting
From Sat Mar 9, 2024 to Sat Mar 16, 2024

Louisiana Local Elections

Sat Apr 27, 2024 - Louisiana Municipal Elections

Voter Registration Deadline

  • In-Person Request by
    Wed Mar 27, 2024
  • Post Received by

    For registrations without postmark


    Wed Mar 27, 2024
  • Postmarked by
    Wed Mar 27, 2024
  • Online by
    Sat Apr 6, 2024

Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

Tue Apr 23, 2024 4:30PM CDT

Absentee Ballot Return Deadline

Fri Apr 26, 2024 4:30PM CDT

Early Voting Available

Early Voting
From Sat Apr 13, 2024 to Sat Apr 20, 2024

General Information

Registration

You can register to vote or update your registration information:

  • online
  • by mail
  • in person at your Registrar of Voters office
  • at some public assistance offices and motor vehicle offices

Election Day Voting

Polling places are open from 6am to 8pm on Election Day.

Find my polling place

Early Voting

You may vote early in your parish from fourteen to seven days prior to any scheduled election (or from fifteen days if there is a state holiday during the early voting period). For presidential elections, the early voting period is from eighteen to seven days before the election except Sundays and legal holidays. When one or more state holidays fall within that early voting period, the first day for early voting will begin nineteen days prior to the election.

Absentee Voting

You may request an absentee ballot by mail for the following reasons:

  • You are a student, instructor, or professor located and living outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof
  • You are a minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy assigned outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof
  • You are or expect to be temporarily outside the territorial limits of the state or absent from your parish of registration during the early voting period and on Election Day
  • You moved your residence to another parish more than 100 miles from the parish seat of your former residence after the voter registration books closed
  • 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 expect to be hospitalized on Election Day and did not have knowledge until after the time for early voting had expired; or you were hospitalized during the time for early voting and you expect to be hospitalized on Election day; or you were either hospitalized or restricted to bed by your physician during early voting and on Election Day
  • You expect to be out of your precinct of registration and upon the waters of the state both during the early voting period and on Election Day because of your employment or occupation
  • You are incarcerated in an institution inside or outside of your parish of registration and you are not under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony
  • You are a program participant in the Department of State's Address Confidentiality Program
  • You will be sequestered on the day of the election.

Additionally, if you are 65 years of age or older or are disabled, you may enroll in the Senior Citizen or Disability Program through your parish registrar of voters and will automatically and permanently receive a ballot by mail for all elections. If you are a resident of a nursing home, veterans' home, or a hospital for an extended stay for a physical disability, you can also enroll in the nursing home early voting program. Once accepted by the registrar of voters, the registrar or a deputy registrar will go to your home facility during a period of a week prior to the beginning of early voting through the last day of early voting.

If you requested an absentee ballot but don't think you'll have time to return it, you have a fax option. Contact your registrar of voters for this option.

Please visit the US Vote Disability Voting Guide to see accommodations for the registration and voting process.

Eligibility Requirements

You are eligible to vote in Louisiana if you:

  • Are a U.S. citizen
  • Are at least 18 years old by Election Day
  • Reside in Louisiana and the parish in which you want to vote

You are NOT eligible to vote in Louisiana if:

  • You have been legally declared "mentally incompetent" by a court or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights
  • You are in prison or jail for a felony conviction

Restorative Requirements

  • After five (5) years on probation or parole or the completion of your full sentence, including probation or parole, whichever comes first, your right to vote is restored, even if you are on parole or probation.

You may preregister to vote in Louisiana

  • at the age 17 (16 if registering in person at the registrar of voters or at the office of motor vehicles)

If you are a student, you are eligible to vote in Louisiana if:

  • You reside in Louisiana but are attending college in another state
  • You reside in another state but attend college in Louisiana
  • You provide a valid photo student ID from a college/university at the polls

Identification Requirements

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Louisiana you should provide one of the following:

  • Your Louisiana Driver's License Number
  • Louisiana Special ID Card Number
  • Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have any of these IDs, you can provide a copy of one of the following with your registration application:

  • Current and Valid Photo ID
  • Government Issued Document that shows your current name and address
  • Government Check
  • Bank Statement
  • Paycheck that Shows your Current Name and Address
  • Current Utility Bill

You can alternatively provide one of these documents when you vote to complete your registration. If you do not have one of these forms of ID and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

Voting In-Person

If you are registered to vote in Louisiana, you are required to show ID to vote; or, if you do not have an accepted ID you may instead sign an affidavit. Accepted forms of ID include:

  • Valid Louisiana Driver's License
  • Louisiana Special ID Card
  • Other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of voter

If you do not have one of the Louisiana valid IDs and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

Witness / Notarization Requirements

An absentee ballot must include ONLY ONE the following in order to be counted:

  • One Witness Signature

Exceptions may apply for disabled voters. Please contact your local election official.

Voter Materials Transmission Options

Domestic Voter

In-Person

Mail

Fax

Email

Online

Voter Registration
Absentee Ballot Request
Blank Ballot To Voter
Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?

Upcoming Election Dates & Deadlines

Louisiana Federal and State Elections

Sat Mar 23, 2024 - Louisiana Presidential Preference Primary

Voter Registration Deadline

  • Post Received by

    For registrations without a postmark


    Wed Feb 21, 2024
  • Postmarked by
    Wed Feb 21, 2024
  • Online by
    Sat Mar 2, 2024

Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

Received by
Fri Mar 22, 2024 4:30PM CDT

Absentee Ballot Return Deadline

Received by
Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:00PM CDT

Louisiana Local Elections

Sat Apr 27, 2024 - Louisiana Municipal Elections

Voter Registration Deadline

  • Post Received by

    For registrations without a postmark


    Wed Mar 27, 2024
  • Postmarked by
    Wed Mar 27, 2024
  • Online by
    Sat Apr 6, 2024

Absentee Ballot Request Deadline

Received by
Fri Apr 26, 2024 4:30PM CDT

Absentee Ballot Return Deadline

Received by
Sat Apr 27, 2024 8:00PM CDT

Eligibility Requirements

Overseas Voters

U.S. citizens living abroad have the right to vote as absentee voters, provided they are eligible to vote in their state. If you are living outside of the U.S. permanently, indefinitely, or temporarily, your voting rights stay with you, even if you never voted when you lived in the U.S. To vote from overseas:

  • Complete and send an overseas voter registration/ballot request form to your election office in the U.S. This is one specific form that will register you as an overseas voter and request your absentee ballot – simultaneously.

Many states allow children who were born overseas, but never lived in the U.S., to use their U.S. parents’ last residence address to register.

Military Voters

Service members and their eligible family members living outside their voting jurisdiction (within or outside the U.S.) are able to vote as absentee voters.

  • If you are a service member, or an eligible family member, there is a single form to file for both voter registration and ballot request. It is often called the “Federal Post Card Application” or the FPCA form. This form must be re-filed with your election office each time you change location.

To vote as a service member or eligible family member:

  • Complete and send a voter registration/ballot request form “FPCA” to your election office in the U.S. It is the same form in all states.

Identification Requirements

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
  • Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number
  • U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form ("FPCA"). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

  • U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
  • Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
  • Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voter Materials Transmission Options

Overseas Voter

In-Person

Mail

Fax

Email

Online

Voter Registration
Absentee Ballot Request
Blank Ballot To Voter
Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

Military Voter

In-Person

Mail

Fax

Email

Online

Voter Registration
Absentee Ballot Request
Blank Ballot To Voter
Voted-Absentee Ballot Return

State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered?