Voting in Louisiana

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Voters can only vote absentee/by mail in Louisiana with an approved excuse. Approved excuses include:
- You are a military or overseas voter
- You are 65 years or older
- You are temporarily absent from Louisiana or your parish during the early voting period and on election day, or expect to be
- You work or expect to be offshore working during the early voting period and on election day
- You reside in a nursing home, veterans' home, or a hospital for an extended stay for a physical disability and are unable to vote in person
- You are a student, instructor, or professor located and living outside of your parish of registration or the spouse/dependent of
- You are minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy assigned outside of your parish of registration, or a spouse/dependent
- 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 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 of the hospitalization 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 are incarcerated or expect to be 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 secretary of state's Address Confidentiality Program
- You will be sequestered with jury duty on the day of the election
- You have already been approved by the registrar of voters for the Disability Program
- You are submitting proof of disability with your application to the registrar of voters for the Disability Program
- You are homebound, voting for the first time, and submitting prroof of disability with your application to the registrar of voters for the Disability Program.

Louisiana offers early voting. Early voting begins 14 to 7 days prior to election day, or 15 days prior to an election if any state or federal holiday falls within an early voting period.

Louisiana has closed presidential primaries and all other primaries are open. Voters registered with a particular party may only vote in that party's presidential primary. Any registered voter can participate in primary elections other than presidential primaries, regardless of political party. 17-year-olds cannot vote in any primary election even if they will be 18 by the corresponding general election.

Photo ID is required to vote in Louisiana. Valid forms of ID include:
- Louisiana driver's license
- a Louisiana special identification card
- LA Wallet digital driver's license
- a United States military identification card that contains the applicant's name and picture
- other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the applicant

If you do not have an approved form of ID, all registered voters may obtain a free Louisiana special identification card by presenting a voter information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles. If you go to your polling place without an approved form of ID, you may still cast your vote by signature on a voter affidavit.