By james art The November 2024 election is just weeks away.
In addition to voting for president, Louisiana voters will cast ballots congressional and local competitions and vote for a few local offers.
Early voting began Friday, and if you’re registered to vote, you should be able to vote before Election Day.
Here’s what you need to know before heading to the polls.
Key dates and deadlines
- Early voting: From October 18 to 29 from 8:30 to 18:00, except Sunday, October 20 and Sunday, October 27
- Deadline for requesting absentee ballots: November 1 at 4:30 p.m., excluding military and overseas voters
- Election day: Groups are open from 6am to 8pm on Tuesday 5th November.
Do you have the right to vote?
To vote in Louisiana, you must be:
- Registered by the deadline
- At least 18 years old
- US citizen
- Legal resident
- Not subject to a custodial order for a felony conviction
- Has not been declared mentally incompetent by court order
Are you registered to vote?
The deadline to register in person or by mail was Monday, October 7. The deadline for online registration was Tuesday, October 15.
The Louisiana Secretary of State’s website has a voter portal you can use to check if you are registered to vote.
- To find your vote information, select “Search by Voter”
- Enter your first and last name, zip code, month and year of birth
- Click “Submit” and the portal should pull up your information
If you miss the deadline, you will not be able to vote, but you can register for the next election online. If you have moved, changed your name, address or party affiliation, you must notify register of voters in your parish or make changes online.
Can you vote by mail?
Unless you’re military or an overseas voter, you’ll need it to have a specific reason to vote absentee. If you are eligible, you can request an absentee ballot via the state’s online voter portal or you can print and send an application directly to your electoral register. Military, foreign, or hospitalized candidates must request their ballot by 4:30 p.m. the day before Election Day. All other candidates will have to claim their ballots by 4:30 p.m. on the fourth day before the election.
Voters with disabilities, military and overseas voters may be able to receive their absentee ballot electronically. For more information, they can refer to their electoral register.
The deadlines for returning ballots by post are:
- Until 8 p.m. on election day for military and hospitalized and overseas voters
- Until 16:30 on the day before election day for everyone else
How to vote early
If you are registered to vote, you should be able to vote early.
For typical elections, the early voting period begins 14 to 7 days before the election. For the presidential elections, they start 18 to 7 days before.
Designated polling stations will be open from 8.30am to 6.00pm on each early voting day.
Here is a list of early voting locations in Baton Rouge:
- Motor Vehicle Building, 2250 Main Street, Baker
- Fire Department Building, 11010 Coursey Boulevard, Baton Rouge
- Louisiana State Archives Building, 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge
- Central Branch Library, 11260 Joor Road, Baton Rouge
- Baton Rouge City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. (Room 607), Baton Rouge
You can find early voting locations for each parish on the state’s online voter portal.
Find your polling place
The state’s online voter portal tells you where to vote. Search by electorate or parish to find your polling place.
What’s in the ballot?
You can also see a sample of your newsletter the portal. Select the election date, your parish, ward and precinct and your ballot should pop up.
What should I bring to the polls?
You will need to have a current and valid photo ID with your signature.
Options include:
- Louisiana driver’s license
- Louisiana special ID card
- LA Wallet Digital Driver’s License
- Military card
- Some other commonly accepted photo IDs
If your ID does not have your photo or signature on it, you can still vote by signing a voter’s affidavit.