Louisiana voters face two different registration deadlines for the Nov. 3 election: Monday, Oct. 5 for applications made in person, by mail or through the Office of Motor Vehicles, and Tuesday, Oct. 13 for electronic applications completed through GeauxVote. The Secretary of State’s revised 2026 election schedule sets those cutoffs and identifies the ballot as the U.S. Senate general election, the open U.S. House primary and an open primary for other offices.
The split schedule matters because Louisiana gives online applicants ten additional days. Under the state’s registration rules, an eligible resident using GeauxVote must have a Louisiana driver’s license or special identification card and register at least 20 days before the election. In-person and mailed applications are due 30 days before the election; a mailed form or its envelope must be postmarked by that deadline.
Residents may also use GeauxVote to update an existing registration. People who have moved should not assume their assigned precinct changed automatically: the Secretary of State says registration requires a residential street or rural-route address in the parish, which election officials use to assign the correct precinct. A post-office box alone does not qualify as a residence address.
Early voting begins Oct. 20
All registered voters may vote early without providing a reason. The state’s voting guide lists early voting from Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Tuesday, Oct. 27, excluding Sunday, Oct. 25. Registrar offices and designated parish locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on each early-voting day.
Early voters should bring a Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana special ID, U.S. military ID with a name and photograph, or another generally recognized picture ID bearing a name and signature. A voter without photo identification can sign a voter affidavit after answering identifying questions. The Secretary of State directs voters to the statewide early-voting location tool because sites can vary by parish.
Absentee voting remains eligibility-based
Louisiana does not offer unrestricted absentee voting by mail. The state lists qualifying categories that include voters age 65 or older, certain voters with disabilities, people temporarily outside their parish during both early voting and Election Day, offshore workers, eligible students and instructors living outside their parish, and other specified circumstances. Eligible voters can apply through the Louisiana Voter Portal or submit a written application to their parish registrar.
For most absentee voters, the request must reach the registrar by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. A completed ballot must reach the registrar by 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. Different deadlines apply to military, overseas and certain hospitalized voters, so those voters should use the applicable instructions rather than the general timetable.
On Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and anyone in line at closing time retains the right to vote. The state recommends checking the Voter Portal for a polling place and sample ballot before Election Day. With the first registration deadline two weeks away, the immediate task for unregistered voters—or voters whose address has changed—is choosing the appropriate registration method and completing it before the corresponding cutoff.
