BATON ROUGE — Early voting begins across Louisiana today, October 20, giving registered voters a week to cast ballots ahead of the November 3 election.
The Louisiana Secretary of State says early voting will run through Tuesday, October 27, excluding Sunday, October 25. Early-voting locations are open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. on voting days.
The November 3 ballot includes the U.S. Senate general election, open U.S. House primaries and other state and local contests depending on where a voter lives. Because ballots vary by parish and precinct, voters can use the state’s Voter Portal or GeauxVote app to review their individual sample ballot before voting.
Any registered Louisiana voter may vote early without providing a reason. Early voting is conducted at parish registrar-of-voters offices and at additional designated sites in some parishes.
Voters are asked to present identification such as a Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana special identification card, a U.S. military identification card containing a name and photograph, or another generally recognized picture ID containing the voter’s name and signature. Louisiana law also provides an affidavit procedure for an eligible voter who does not have the requested photo identification.
The Secretary of State also reminds voters that campaign activity is prohibited within the statutory campaign-free zone around voting locations. Voters should not wear or display campaign material advocating for or against a candidate, proposition or political party while voting.
For voters planning to use an absentee ballot, the general deadline to request one is October 30 at 4:30 p.m. The deadline for a parish registrar of voters to receive a completed absentee ballot is November 2 at 4:30 p.m. Different rules and deadlines can apply to military, overseas and certain hospitalized voters.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m., and voters who are in line when polls close are entitled to vote.
Louisiana’s 2026 election cycle has included significant changes in the way some offices reach the general election, but today’s early-voting period is open to all registered voters eligible to participate in the contests appearing on their ballot.
The safest way to confirm a voting location, registration information and the exact ballot is through the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Voter Portal rather than relying on a previous election location, because early-voting sites can differ from Election Day precincts and some locations operate only on limited dates.
Sources
Louisiana Secretary of State — November 3, 2026 election dates and deadlines
Louisiana Secretary of State — Ways to Vote
