Elections

WELCOME TO THE ELECTIONS DIVISION

Geaux Vote

ELECTIONS DIVISION TOLL-FREE NUMBER: 800-883-2805

How do I register to vote? Click here for voter registration information.

Where do I vote? Click here to locate your polling place.

What's on my ballot? Click here to view a sample ballot and click here to read PAR's Guide to the Proposed Constitutional Amendments.

Click here for a list of the Clerks of Court and the Registrars of Voters.

For a demonstration of the voting machines used in Louisiana, click here.

CHANGES TO THE FALL 2008 ELECTIONS

Hurricanes Gustav and Ike and their after effects necessitated several changes in the fall elections cycle. The Sept. 6, 2008 closed congressional primary elections are postponed, as well as some municipal elections. Here is a breakdown of the current election cycle as it stands now:

2008 FALL CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS CYCLE

(ADJUSTED FOLLOWING HURRICANE GUSTAV)

NOVEMBER 4, 2008

Second closed party primaries for Congress 2, 4
Open general for Congress 1, 5, 6, 7
Open general for U.S. Senate
Open general for municipal races
Open primaries for municipal races in Terrebonne and Cameron parishes
Props
Constitutional Amendments (7)
President
Early voting: Tues. 10/21 through Tues. 10/28
Registration deadline: 10/6/08

DECEMBER 6, 2008

Open general for Congress 2, 4
Open general for municipal race in Terrebonne parish
Early voting: Tues. 11/18 through Tues. 11/25 EXCEPT SUNDAY (Exec. Order BJ-2008-89)
Registration deadline: 11/5/08

Voting in the 2008 Statewide Congressional District Elections

Below is a chart showing how voters will be voting for the five recognized political parties in the statewide congressional closed party primaries, if any.

VOTING IN THE 1ST AND 2ND CONGRESSIONAL CLOSED PARTY PRIMARY ELECTIONS

For Democratic Party Candidates

For Republican Party Candidates

For Green Party Candidates

For Libertarian Party Candidates

For Reform Party Candidates

MAY

vote

·   Democratic voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

Only Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

·   Libertarian voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

·   Reform voters

·   Unaffiliated voters: registered with non-recognized parties or with no political party

May NOT

vote

·   Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Libertarian voters

·   Reform voters

All other voters

·   Democratic voters

·   Republican voters

·   Libertarian voters

·   Reform voters

·   Democratic voters

·   Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Reform voters

·   Democratic voters

·   Republican voters

·   Green voters

·   Libertarian voters

Act 560 of the 2006 Legislative Session (18:1275.1-1279) created the closed party primary system for Congress only – U. S. Senator and U. S. Representative.

Louisiana has five recognized political parties: Democratic, Republican, Green, Libertarian, and Reform.

The congressional party primaries are closed party primaries but are open to non-affiliated voters unless the party closes their primary. The only political party who has prohibited non-affiliated voters from participating in their primaries is the Republican Party.

The congressional general is open to candidates from recognized political parties who have advanced from their closed party primaries, and candidates from non-recognized political parties or candidates who have no party affiliation, who file a notice of candidacy and pay the filing fee or file a nominating petition; all voters may vote for the candidate of their choice, regardless of party affiliation, in the general election.

If a recognized political party has no candidate in the 1st or 2nd congressional primaries, voters affiliated with that party may not vote for a congressional candidate in the 1st or 2nd congressional primaries; however, they may vote in the congressional general election. (For example, if no candidate with the Green Party qualifies for office, or if only one (1) such candidate qualifies, the Green Party will not have a party primary, and voters registered with the Green Party may not vote in any primary election, but may vote in the general election.)

If a recognized political party only has one candidate qualify for a congressional office, there will be no 1st or 2nd primary for that party, and the candidate will appear on the congressional general ballot.

If a recognized political party has two candidates qualify for a congressional office, there will be no 2nd primary for that party and the winner of the 1st primary will appear on the congressional general ballot.

If a recognized political party has three or more candidates qualify for a congressional office: 1) if one candidate receives a majority vote, there will be no 2nd primary for that party and that candidate will appear on the congressional general ballot; or, 2) if no candidate receives a majority vote, the candidates with the top two vote totals will advance to the 2nd party primary, and the winner of that election will appear on the congressional general ballot.

Registered Voter Statistics: Click here to access voter registration statistics, either statewide or by parish.

Displaced Voters: Displaced voters may vote by mail, vote early in person at the registrar of voters office of their parish, or on election day at their precinct.

Get Election Results Online
Polls close at 8 p.m. for all elections in Louisiana. Complete up-to-the-minute returns are available from our online Elections Returns Database as soon as they are transmitted electronically by local elections officials to our elections system in Baton Rouge.

Election Night Results Maps are available at the GCR & Associates, Inc. site.

Get Previous Election Results Online
The same online Elections Returns Database can be used to access archived results for previous elections. Select the date from the drop down menu or use the "Archived" button at the bottom of the database page for more options.

Voters Can Call Tollfree Number to Check on Provisional Ballots
Any voter who casts a provisional ballot in a recent Federal election and wants to know if it was counted should contact the Secretary of State Elections Division at 1-800-883-2805. Voters should wait at least seven days after a Federal election to call, and should be prepared with their provisional ballot number. Recent statistics for provisional votes counted are available on the Provisional Voting page.

Voter Registration Deadlines
Louisiana statutes require you to be registered 30 days prior to an election to be eligible to vote in that particular election. Refer to the Schedule of Elections for registration deadlines. You can register in person at your parish Registrar of Voters office, or you can submit an application by mail to your Registrar of Voters office. If you are seeking services at a mandated registration site, voter registration may be offered to you. For example, a person can register to vote when renewing a driver's license. Mandated sites include:

Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicle offices.
Louisiana Department of Social Services offices and WIC offices, Food Stamp offices, and Medicaid offices.
Offices serving persons with disabilities, such as the Deaf Action Centers and Independent Living offices.
Armed Forces Recruitment offices.

Early Voting
Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at local Registrar of Voters offices from 14 days to seven days prior to any scheduled election from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Voting Hours Are From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Louisiana's elections laws provide for voting on election day at designated polling places from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A Reminder to Voters - Take Picture ID to Polls
When you go to the polls to cast your vote in an election, be sure to take a driver's license, a Louisiana Special ID, or some other generally recognized picture ID. Voters who have no picture ID and bring only a utility bill, payroll check or government document that includes their name and address will have to sign an affidavit furnished by the Elections Division in order to vote. Should any problems or questions arise, the principal office of the Registrar of Voters in each parish will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on election day.

Handicapped Access Information
This information is provided as a guide for the election officials who are directly involved in the Special Program for Physically Handicapped Voters, for the individuals who wish to participate in the program, and for any other individual who may have an interest in the law. The special program was established by Acts 500 of 1983 to enable certain physically handicapped voters the opportunity to participate in the electoral process. It will enable these voters to vote absentee by mail or in person at nursing homes if they meet the requirements set forth in the Louisiana Election Code.

Voting Rights Seminars for Individuals with Disabilities and the Elderly to be held before the 2008 fall elections. Click here for more information.

Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA)

On October 29, 2002, President Bush signed into law the "Help America Vote Act of 2002," (HAVA), Pub. L. No. 107-252, 116 Stat. 1666 (2002), 42 U.S.C. 15301 to 15545. The legislation aims to improve the administration of elections in the United States, primarily through three means:

creating a new federal agency to serve as a clearinghouse for election administration information
providing funds to states to improve election administration and replace outdated voting systems
creating minimum standards for states to follow in several key areas of election administration

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA)

This federal law was passed by Congress in 1993. The Commissioner of Elections was designated the chief election official to be responsible for the coordination of the state's duties under the NVRA, working closely with the Louisiana Legislature to comply with the federal mandate and to have Act 10 of the Third Extraordinary Session of 1994 adopted, maintaining a single voter registration system for Louisiana elections. The main intent of Act 10 was to encourage voter registration by providing new and innovative ways to register to vote. The Act mandated three new intake programs: mail, motor voter, and agency-based registration. These programs not only bring new voters into the election process, but they also bring new people to the task of registration administration.