Louisiana/Voting

Louisiana Voting

Register to Vote in the state of Louisiana you must:

• be a U.S. citizen;
• be 17 years old (16 years old if registering in person at the Registrar of Voters Office or at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles), but must be 18 years old to vote;
• 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;
• not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights;
• reside in the state and parish in which you seek to register; and
• must be registered 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 to be eligible to vote in that particular election. 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.

ID Requirements:

• a driver's license;
• a Louisiana Special ID;
• LA Wallet digital driver's license;
• a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture; or
• some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.

You can register online or in person. If you are online, you will need a Louisiana Driver’s License or Louisiana Special ID card. If it is in person, you can go to one of these 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; or
• Armed Forces recruitment offices.

Register by Mail:

Complete the application and mail it in. Louisiana does not accept faxed applications.

In order to vote in a particular election you must register at least 20 days before that elections

Voting:

Polls open every Saturday at 7am and at 6am for Tuesday elections. Polls close around 8pm. If you are in line to vote at 8pm you have the right to vote.  Stay in line.

Voters who want to vote early for any election may do so in person at designated locations in their parish from 14 to seven days prior to any scheduled election. When one or more state holidays fall within an early voting period, the first day for early voting will begin 15 days prior to the election.

For early voting, the polls will be open from 8:30am-6pm.

Assistance to Disable Voters:  

A visibly disabled voter and the person assisting them in voting shall go to the front of the line when voting early at the Registrar of Voters Office or at designated locations for early voting.

A voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if they are unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.

A voter must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail before the election if they need assistance in voting or complete an affidavit and/or provide specific disability documentation to the registrar or commissioner during early voting.

Acceptable disability documentation includes letters from a medical doctor, optometrist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner certifying to the disability, or a copy of current documentation showing eligibility for disability benefits from either social security, veteran's, paratransit services, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities or benefits from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.

Persons prohibited from assisting voters are as follows:

• candidate in the election cannot assist a voter;
• employer or employer's agent cannot assist an employee;
• union agent cannot assist a union member; and
• staff for a state residential facility cannot assist residents of their facility in voting.

Requirements of a Person Assisting a Voter

A voter who is entitled to assistance in voting may receive the assistance of any person of their choice including the registrar, a deputy registrar or an early voting commissioner, except those prohibited.

Before a voter receives assistance during early voting, the registrar, deputy registrar or early voting commissioner must print the voter's name and the assistant's name (including a registrar, a deputy registrar or an early voting commissioner providing assistance) behind the tab for assistance to voters in the back of the precinct register and check the box if the voter is not marked on the statewide voter registration system as eligible for assistance in voting. Then the assistant (including a registrar, a deputy registrar or an early voting commissioner providing assistance) must sign their name next to their printed name before being allowed to assist the voter.

In the event that a paper ballot must be used during early voting, the person assisting the voter to vote a paper ballot must explain to the voter that a signature or mark made by the voter constitutes certification that all statements in the certificate are true and correct and that any person who knowingly provides false or incorrect statements is subject to a fine or imprisonment, or both.

The person assisting the voter to vote a paper ballot must sign the acknowledgment on the paper ballot envelope flap, verifying that the person providing the assistance has marked the ballot in the manner dictated by the voter.

If a voter is assigned to a polling place that is not accessible, the voter may cast their vote at the nearest polling place with the same ballot, or at the Registrar of Voters Office.

Absentee Voting:

In Louisiana, there must be a reason for you to vote by mail in any election. These reasons are:

• Senior Citizen (65+)
• Temporarily Absent
• Offshore- if you work at sea.
• Nursing Home
• Higher Education
• Clergy
• Moved out of Parish- If you moved more than 100 miles from the parish seat of your former residence after the voter registration books closed (30 days prior to an election), you may apply through a General Application and, once accepted by the registrar of voters, absentee vote.
• Involuntary Confinement
• Hospitalized
• Incarcerated-so long as it is not a felony.
• Address Confidentiality
• Juror

If you physical disabled, you may go through the disabled voters information.

Physical Disability: If you are physically disabled, you may apply through the Disabled Application and, if not enrolled, enroll in the programs for voters with disabilities, senior citizens and nursing home residents. Once accepted by the registrar of voters, you may request a ballot for one (1) election only, or you may choose to automatically receive an absentee ballot for all upcoming elections.  You may also choose to receive your ballot electronically (by email).  Once you have opted in to automatically receive absentee ballots, you may choose to opt out at any time by submitting an Absentee Program Opt-Out Form or your own written request to your parish registrar of voters.  You will be removed from the Absentee Program automatically if any ballot mailed to you is returned to the registrar as undeliverable.

If you have not previously provided proof of disability to your parish registrar of voters, one of the following must be submitted along with your application:  

• a copy of a mobility impaired identification card issued by the Office of Motor Vehicles;
• a copy of social security disability benefits, veteran’s disability benefits, paratransit services, benefits from the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities or benefits from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services; or
• a letter from a physician, optometrist, physician assistant or nurse practitioner certifying your disability.  

In addition to any disability documentation listed above, any voter enrolling in the disability program must also enclose a copy of a photo ID (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana special ID card or other photo ID with name and signature) or a letter of oath where you have listed the names and addresses of two persons residing in your precinct who could make oath, if required, to the fact that you are physically disabled.

Homebound: If you are homebound and cannot vote without assistance, you may apply through the Disabled Application and, if not enrolled, enroll in the programs for voters with disabilities, senior citizens and nursing home residents. If you are disabled and homebound and are voting for the first time, your proof of disability must be a physician's letter certifying that you are homebound to exempt you from law that requires that you either register or vote for the first time in person. If you have previously voted, you may provide proof of disability through any of the documents listed above.