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  Home > Elections & Voting > Register to Vote > Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions

Apply online to register to vote or make changes to your registration.

Apply in person to register to vote at any Registrar of ​Voters Office or at any of the following locations:
  • Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles;
  • Public assistance offices and agencies that administer or provide services under the food stamp program, Medicaid program, the Supplemental Food for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and the Child Case Assistance Program (CCAP);
  • offices that provide state-funded programs primarily engaged in providing services to persons with disabilities;
  • armed forces recruitment offices; and
  • other offices dedicated by rule, which may include public libraries, public schools and local government offices.
Apply by mail by downloading the Louisiana Voter Registration Application, completing it and returning it to your local registrar of voters office. Please note that the list of offices for registrars is included on the form. You may also get the mailing address from this list of Registrar of Voters Office.

Faxed voter registration forms are not accepted. The voter registration form should be addressed and mailed or hand-delivered to the appropriate registrar of voters in the parish in which you are registering. You must be registered at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through our GeauxVote Online Registration System with a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail to be eligible to vote in that particular election. Do not mail or otherwise send voter registration forms to the secretary of state elections division. Deadlines requiring receipt in the registrar of voters office may be missed. (If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the first election in which you seek to vote.)

You must re-register when you move to a new parish and if you move out of state, you must cancel your voter registration before registering in your new state by writing or calling your registrar of voters in Louisiana.

See La R.S. 18:114, La R.S. 18:116(a-c) and La R.S. 18:135 to learn more about voter registration.
To cancel your voter registration, complete a Cancel Voter Registration Form and submit it to the registrar of voters in your parish.
You must:
  • be a U.S. citizen;
  • be 17 years old (16 years old if registering in person at the registrar of voters office or at the Louisiana Office of Moter Vehicles), but must be 18 years old to vote; 
  • not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony;
  • not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights;
  • reside in the state and parish in which you seek to register;
  • must be registered at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through our GeauxVote Online Registration System with a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail to be eligible to vote in that particular election. (If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the first election in which you seek to vote.)

See the XIV Amendment of the U.S. Constitution , the XXVI Amendment of the U.S. Constitution , La R.S. 18:101 and La R.S. 18:102 for more information about voter registration qualifications.

Voter registration information on 16 and 17 year olds is confidential and not open to public inspection.

Nothing, registering to vote is a right afforded to you as a United States citizen by the Constitution of the United States.
You may print your own voter information card by accessing the secretary of state's voter portal. Once the portal is open, select, "Search by Voter" option and then click the "Print Voter Registration Card" link located in the second column of the Quick Links.​

You may also contact your parish Registrar of Voters Office to request a duplicate voter information card. 

Yes, you must qualify to register with a residence address in the parish with a street or rural route address. Post office box addresses and mail center boxes do not qualify. We must know where you live so you are assigned to the proper voting precinct for Election Day.
 
Displaced voters: If you were involuntarily displaced to a new parish or state due to a gubernatorially declared emergency, but want to remain registered to vote at your pre-emergency address, you may remain registered there if you have not changed your registration address or filed a homestead exemption on a different residence. You should provide a mailing address, if different from your pre-emergency residence address, to your registrar of voters to remain an active voter. Also, please see 'If I have more than one address, can I choose which address to use for registering?' for more information regarding homestead exemptions.

See La R.S. 18:101(B) to learn more about residency requirements.
Yes, unless you claim a homestead exemption on one of the residences. If you claim a homestead exemption then you must use your homestead exemption address:  however, if you do not claim homestead exemption and reside at more than one place in the state with an intention to reside there indefinitely, you may register only at one of the places at which you reside. There is a homestead exception in the law for persons who reside in a nursing home, as defined in La R.S. 40:2009.2, or in a veterans' home operated by the state or federal government. They may register and vote at the address where the nursing home or veterans' home is located, even though they have a homestead exemption on their residence.

See La R.S. 18:101(B) to learn more about homestead exemptions and requirements.
Complete a voter registration application and check to "update voter registration" to change your name, party or address.

If your name is changed by a judgement of court you are required to file a copy with the registrar of voters.

If you have moved inside of your parish, notify your parish registrar of voters of any changes to your registration. Failure to update your residential address may result in an inactive registration status. Inactive voters must verify their residential addresses prior to voting, which may be done on Election Day at the precinct, in person at the registrar's office, online or by mail through a voter registration application.

If you have moved outside of  your parish, you are no longer eligible to remain registered in that parish. You must register in your new parish.

Displaced voters: If you were involuntarily displaced to a new parish or state due to a gubernatorially declared emergency, but want to remain registered to vote at your pre-emergency address, you may remain registered there if you have not changed your registration address or filed a homestead exemption on a different residence. You should provide a mailing address, if different from your pre-emergency residence address, to your registrar of voters or online to remain an active voter.

See La R.S. 18:101(F), La R.S. 18:109, La R.S. 18:110 and La R.S. 18:111 to read more about voter registration changes.
If registering in person at a parish Registrar of Voters Office, you are required to prove age, residency and identity. You must submit your current Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special identification card, if you have one, or your social security card, birth certificate or other documentation which reasonably and sufficiently establishes your identity, age and residency.

If you do not have any of these, you may bring a copy of a current and valid photo identification, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or government document that includes your name and address.

If registering at a mandated site, no further proof of identification is required other than whatever proof is required for services received that you have applied for at the public agency. Louisiana mails a verification mailing card to verify the address you have provided when registering by mail.

See La R.S. 18:101, La R.S. 18:101.1, La R.S. 18:105, La R.S. 18:115(b)(1) and La R.S. 18:116(B) to learn more about what is needed to register to vote.
No, once you are registered in your parish, you will remain registered as an active voter in your parish unless you move. If you move, update your address with your registrar of voters online, by mail or in person.  

Annually the registrar conducts a canvass by submitting your residence address to the U.S. Postal Service for verification.  If your residence address has changed, you will be mailed an Address Confirmation Card.  If you do not return the address confirmation card, you will be placed on inactive status. You can activate your status by updating your residence address online, by mail or in person either on Election Day before voting or at the Registrar of Voters Office.

If you do not update your address and do not vote for a two year period which includes two federal general elections, you may be canceled.

See La R.S. 18:102, La R.S. 18:193 and La R.S. 18:196 for more information on registration prior to elections and voting.
Yes, voter registration is not transferable unless you receive an Address Confirmation Card from your registrar of voters during the annual canvass and you complete and return it with your signature requesting to transfer your registration to your new parish.

Louisiana law allows you to vote in your old parish for 3 months or until you register in your new parish, whichever occurs first.  You can register onlinein person or by mail.

See La R.S. 18:193, La R.S. 18:196 and La R.S. 18:199 for more information on moving between parishes.
You may not be registered in more than one state and therefore need to cancel your voter registration in Louisiana when you move to another state.  It is not canceled automatically when you register in your new state. To cancel your voter registration, complete a Cancel Voter Registration Form and submit it to your parish registrar of voters to have your voter registration canceled.

See La R.S. 18:101(A) for more information on moving out of state.
Students may use their home residence address within the state or their school address for voter registration purposes. Out of state students are allowed to use their school address in Louisiana if they want to be a voter in this state. If they register to vote by mail, they may vote absentee by mail by including a copy of their fee bill or student identification card with their application to vote absentee by mail.

See La R.S. 18:101(C) and La R.S. 18:1303(B)(2) to learn about voter registration options for full time students.
Louisiana statute requires you to be registered at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through our GeauxVote Online Registration System with a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail to be eligible to vote in that particular election. However, if the deadline falls on a legal holiday, the registrar will close the registration records on the first day after such holiday which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday. (If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the first election in which you seek to vote.)

See La R.S. 18:135(A)(1) to read more about registration deadlines prior to an election.
Yes, in order for you to vote on the correct ballot for an election, your registration must have your residential address. Your special districts and elected representatives are determined by your residential address.

See La R.S. 18:101(B) to learn more about state residential requirements.
To reinstate your voter registration that was suspended for a felony conviction, you must appear in person at the registrar of voters office and provide documentation from the appropriate correction official showing that you are no longer under an order of imprisonment or, if under such order of imprisonment, that you have not been incarcerated pursuant to the order within the last five years and that you are not under an order of imprisonment related to a felony conviction for election fraud or any other election offense.

​The personal appearance requirement does not apply to a person approved as eligible for the Special Program for Handicapped Voters prior to January 1, 2010, or a person who has submitted to the registrar a current proof of disability from a physician as described in La R.S. 18:177(A)(2)(6).
While this question sounds complicated, it is really very simple. If you live in Louisiana and intend for this to be your legal residence, you are a Louisiana resident.
Louisiana has five (5) recognized political parties:
  • Democratic;
  • Green;
  • Independent;
  • Libertarian; and
  • Republican.
The Green, Independent, and Libertarian parties have fulfilled all the requirements in La R.S. 18:441 and are now recognized political parties.

Your party affiliation can be changed by completing another voter registration application. You may make changes online. All changes made at least 20 days prior to an election if registering through our GeauxVote Online Registration System with a Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana special ID card or 30 days prior to an election if registering in person or by mail are effective for that election, otherwise the change cannot become effective until the next election. (If mailing in an application, the application or envelope must be postmarked 30 days prior to the first election in which you seek the change.)

See La R.S. 18:101(B) and La R.S. 18:135(C) for more information on changing party status on your registration.

No, your email address is protected from disclosure along with your social security number, driver’s license number, day and month of your date of birth, and mother’s maiden name.

See La R.S. 18:154(C) to read about a voter's protected information.