2024 LOUISIANA VOTER GUIDE

     

    1.Voter Registration

    Deadline to Register/update:

    –      Online: By October 15, 2024

    –      By Mail/In Person: By October 7, 2024

    REGISTER TO VOTE

     

    2. Check Your Registration

    Why check your registration? Your address is where election officials send notices, application forms to receive your ballot in the mail, and more. Additionally, poll workers will check if the address on your voter registration matches the address on your ID at the polls.

    Check and Update Your Registration Online

    Checklist:

    • Is your name spelled correctly? (Correct hyphenations, middle initials, etc)
    • Correct Address
    • Active Voter Status (if not update by sending in another online/mail voter application)
    • Correct Date of Birth
    • Correct Political Party Preference
    • Take a time-stamped photograph or screenshot of your registration, and take it with you to the polls as proof of your registration.

     

    3. Voter ID Law

    Source: Ballotpedia

    Louisiana requires voters to present photo identification (ID) while voting. Accepted forms of ID include a driver’s license, a Louisiana special ID, and an LA Wallet digital driver’s license. For a list of all accepted forms of ID, see below.

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

    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.

    Louisiana’s voter ID requirements are outlined in Louisiana Revised Statutes §18:562:

    A. Identification of voters. (1) A person who desires to vote in a primary or general election shall give his name and address to a commissioner, who shall announce the applicant’s name and address to the persons at the polling place.

    (2)(a) Each applicant shall identify himself, in the presence and view of the bystanders, and present to the commissioners one of the following:

    (i) A Louisiana driver’s license, a Louisiana special identification card issued pursuant to R.S. 40:1321, or other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the applicant.

    (ii) A United States military identification card that contains the applicant’s name and picture.

    (b) If the applicant does not have one of the forms of identification provided in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, the applicant shall complete and sign an affidavit …

    To view the full text of the law, click here.

    Forms of Accepted IDs

    Louisiana requires voters to present photo identification while voting.

    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.

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

    Provisional ballot rules

    Voters in Louisiana are given provisional ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.

    (1) If the voter wants to vote in the parish where he or she is registered to vote but is at the wrong precinct, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot for federal offices only.

    (2) If the voter wants to vote in a precinct that is not in the parish where he or she is registered to vote, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot for federal offices only.

    (3) If the voter is not registered to vote in Louisiana, the voter has the right to cast a provisional ballot for federal offices only.

    In each of the above circumstances, the voter must certify in writing on the ballot that he or she is eligible to vote. The voter “will not be permitted to vote on the voting machine for state, local or municipal offices; propositions; or state constitutional amendments.”

    Was your provisional ballot counted?

    “If you cast a paper provisional ballot for federal offices only, your provisional ballot may or may not be counted. You must be a registered voter in the parish where you vote and eligible to vote in the election for federal office for your vote to be counted. If you cast a provisional ballot for a U.S. representative, you must be a registered voter in that congressional district,” according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.

    Visit the office of the Secretary of State’s Provisional Ballot Search tool to check the status of your provisional ballot. The secretary of state recommends waiting at least seven days after an election before checking the status of the provisional ballot.

     

    4. Order Your Advance Mail Ballot

    Deadline for Advance Mail Ballot application: Must be received by 4:30 pm on November 1, 2024

    We recommend requesting your advance mail ballot as soon as possible and well in advance of this deadline in order to ensure that you receive your ballot in time.

    Request Mail-in Ballot

    Deadline to return Advance Mail Ballot: must be received no later than 4:30 pm on November 4, 2024

    Surrendering Your Absentee Ballot: Louisiana does not have the Surrender Rule. If you bring your absentee ballot to surrender at the polling place on Election Day, they will still make you vote with a provisional ballot.

     

    5. Early Voting Information

    • Early voting is available from October 18 – October 29, 2024 (excluding Sunday, October 20 and Sunday, October 27) from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • For a detailed list of early voting locations in your parish, log in to the voter portal:
      https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/
    • The registrar shall remain open from 8:30AM-6:00PM Monday through Saturday. The registrar may designate alternate locations for early voting at a courthouse or nearby public building. The registrar may also designate a branch office to serve as an early voting location. For a complete list of locations and hours visit: https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/earlyvoting
    • Polls open at 7 a.m. for SATURDAY elections and at 6 a.m. for TUESDAY elections. Polls close at 8 p.m. All voters in line at 8 p.m. have the right to vote.
    • A photo identification card with your photo and signature or a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture is required when voting. If you do not have a photo ID, you may obtain a free Louisiana special identification card by presenting your voter registration information card to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) or you may vote by affidavit after correctly answering identifying information before voting.
    • For complete information regarding early voting visit: https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/Vote/VoteEarly/Pages/default.aspx
    • For a list of contact information for election officials visit:https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/ContactUs/Pages/default.aspx

     

    6. Become a Poll Worker!

     

    7. Additional Questions?

    https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/Pages/default.aspx