Louisiana

Election Day: 

Election Day voting hours are from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST A voter in line by 8:00 p.m. CST has the right to vote. 

Early Voting:

Any registered voter can vote early in person.  A voter does not need a reason to vote early.  Early voting begins on October 16, 2020 at the registrar of voters office in each parish. 

The early voting period for the General Election is October 16-27 (excluding Sunday, October 18 and Sunday, October 25, 2020) from 8:30 am-6:00 pm CST

Check with your parish registrar for information about where to vote early.  You can also search for early voting sites online.  

Vote by Mail (“Absentee Voting”):  

In Louisiana, voters, except military or overseas voters, must have a reason to be eligible to vote by mail. 

The list of valid reasons is available online.  Valid reasons include, but are not limited to:

• being 65 years of age or older; 
• having a physical disability; 
• being incarcerated or hospitalized;
• being temporarily absent from your parish during the entire early voting period and election day, including absence as a result of attending or teaching at an institution of higher education.

You must first fill out and mail an application to vote absentee to the parish registrar.  Applications are available online. Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. Central time on the fourth day before Election Day.  The registrar will mail the voter an absentee ballot.  The ballot must be received by the parish registrar by 4:30 p.m. Central time the day before Election Day.

Per court order in Harding v. Edwards on September 16, 2020, Louisiana will be required to allow all voters impacted by COVID to vote absentee, as long as they validly request absentee ballots.  To request an absentee ballot, fill out a COVID-19 Emergency Application. This issue should be actively monitored in the coming weeks as it continues to play out in the legislature and the courts.  This issue should be actively monitored in the coming weeks as it continues to play out in the legislature and the courts.

How to Find Your Polling Place: 

You can find your polling place by checking the Louisiana Voter Portal “GeauxVote” website (https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/).   Or you can call your parish registrar.

Registration Deadline:  

The voter registration deadline is 30 days prior to an election if registering by mail or in person.  Voters registering online through Geaux Vote must register 20 days prior to the election in which they wish to vote. Please visit the Secretary of State website for more information.

How to Check Your Registration:  

You can check your registration on the “GeauxVote” website.

Registration Eligibility: 

In order to be eligible to register to vote in Louisiana, you must:

• Be a citizen of the United States;
• Reside in Louisiana and the parish in which you seek to register;
• Be at least 17 years old to register, and 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 certain other election-related offenses; 
• Not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction where your right to vote has been suspended; and
• Be registered at least 20 days prior to election if registering through the GeauxVote website or 30 days prior to election if registering in person or by mail. *Note: Students attending an institution of higher education in Louisiana who meet the other voter qualifications may register and vote in Louisiana while residing in the state for school, even if they do not intend to reside in the state indefinitely.

How to Register:  

Louisiana residents may register in person, my mail, or online. 

Online:  You can register to vote on the Geaux Vote website.

By Mail:  You can register to vote by downloading a mail-in form from the Louisiana Secretary of State website and mailing it to your parish registrar of voters.  The registrar of voters mails a verification mailing card to verify the address you provide when registering by mail.  If you do not receive a mailing from the registrar of voters within two weeks of registering, contact their office.

In person: You can register to vote in person at the following locations:

• At any parish registrar of voters;
• 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.

Identification Required for Registration:  You are required to prove age, residency and identity.  

If you have a Louisiana driver’s license or special identification card (“Louisiana Special ID”), you must provide that ID number, on your registration application, or your birth certificate or other documentation that reasonably and sufficiently establishes your identity, age and residency.  If you do not have a Louisiana driver’s license or a Louisiana Special ID, you must provide the last four digits of your social security number.  (The full social security number may be provided on a voluntary basis.)  If you were not issued a social security number, you must attach either one or more documents to prove your identity, residence and date of birth.  Documents may be: (a) a copy of current and valid photo identification; and/or (b) a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that includes your name and address.  Your birth certificate can be used to establish your identity and date of birth and a short form birth certification card is acceptable as a birth certificate.

NOTE:  A Louisiana mobility impaired card is not an acceptable form of identification since it does not contain a signature.

You may get a free Louisiana Special ID at the Office of Motor Vehicles by showing your voter information card.

If You Want to Vote Early In-Person: 

All registered voters can vote early in person.  You do not need to provide a reason to vote early in person.

Early voting:  occurs from Friday, October 16, 2020 to Tuesday, October 27, 2020 excluding Sunday, Oct. 18 and Sunday, Oct. 25) from 8 a.m.-7 p.m.  Voters should check with their parish registrar for information about where to vote early.  Or you can search for early voting sites online. 

If You Want to Vote Absentee by Mail: 

You can vote absentee by mail if you are able to provide a valid reason or if you are impacted by COVID  The list of valid reasons is available online:.  Valid reasons include – but are not limited to (click on link for full list):  being 65 years of age or older; having a physical disability; being incarcerated or hospitalized; or you anticipate being temporarily absent from your parish during the entire early voting period and election day, including for the reason of attending or teaching at an institution of higher education outside your parish.  Voters must first fill out and mail an application to vote absentee to the parish registrar.   Applications are available online.  Applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. Central time on the fourth day before Election Day.  The registrar will mail the voter an absentee ballot.  The ballot is due back to the parish registrar by 4:30 p.m. Central time the day before Election Day.  A timely postmark is not enough.

The state of Louisiana has also expanded absentee voting to individuals impacted by COVID-19, as it did in the primary and municipal elections this summer.  To request an absentee ballot, fill out a COVID-19 Emergency Application. This issue is in flux and should be monitored weekly.

Identification Requirements to Cast a Ballot: 

Louisiana voters must present a valid form of photo identification in order to vote.  If you do not have the required ID, you can complete and sign an affidavit, which includes your date of birth and mother’s maiden name.

Valid forms of identification include:

• Valid Louisiana Driver’s License;
• Valid Louisiana special identification card; 
• Louisiana Wallet Digital Driver’s License;
• U.S. military ID card containing the voter’s name and photo; or
• Other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the voter’s name and signature.

If you do not have a valid ID, you may still cast your vote by signature on a voter affidavit, but your vote may be susceptible to a challenge.

Moving within the Same Precinct:
Go to your regular polling location. You should ask for, and fill out, an address confirmation card. You can cast a regular ballot.

Moving within the Same Parish:
You can still vote a regular ballot at your old polling place by regular ballot. You should ask for, and fill out, an address confirmation card; this change will take effect after the general election. If you appear on the “inactive voter list,” you may need to complete an address confirmation card, which affirms your new address.

Moving Between Parishes:
You must re-register when you move to a new parish. If you forgot to re-register, you can still vote at your old polling place by regular ballot, provided that you moved within the last three months. You should ask for, and fill out, an address confirmation card; this change will take effect after the general election. If you appear on the “inactive voter list,” you may need to complete an address confirmation card, which affirms your new address and that you moved within the last three months.

Registering and Requesting an Absentee Ballot

Military and overseas citizens may register to vote or change their registration online (at voterportal.sos.la.gov/VoterRegistration) or print an application to register to vote and return it by mail or fax to their parish registrar of voters.  They can use the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), also known as Standard Form 76, to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot.  Visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Louisiana-specific FPCA webpage.  Military and overseas citizens can send and receive voting materials by fax and email.  If you wish to use the fax or email options, you must indicate this on your FPCA. 

A misdemeanor conviction does not disqualify a person from voting in Louisiana.  If you have been convicted of a felony, you can vote if you are no longer under an order of imprisonment (including probation, suspended sentences, and parole) OR (a) you have not been incarcerated within the last five years (even if you are still under an order of imprisonment, i.e. on probation or parole) and (b) the order of imprisonment is not related to a felony conviction for election fraud or certain other election offenses.  However, you must restore your right to vote by appearing in person at the registrar of voters office, completing a voter registration application, and providing documentation from the appropriate correction official to prove that the you have not been incarcerated pursuant to an order of imprisonment (i.e. on probation or parole) within the last five years.

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