Louisiana Absentee Voter Guide

First time voters who register by mail must vote in person.  You may vote on election day or during the early voting period, but you cannot vote by absentee ballot.  Please register in person if you are planning on voting by absentee ballot. 

Important Deadlines

• Voter Registration Form: Received at least 30 days before the election
• Absentee Ballot Application: No earlier than 60 days before the election; and received no later than 4:30pm on the 4th day before the election (or, if hospitalized, by 8pm on the day before the election)
• Voted Absentee Ballot: Received by 4:30pm on the day BEFORE the election (or, if hospitalized, by 8pm on Election Day)

How to vote by absentee ballot

Register to vote

Recommended: Use our Voter Registration Widget. Enter your information, print and sign the completed form, and mail it to the address printed on the form. 

You can also download Louisiana's state voter registration form.  Fill out the form and mail it to your Parish Registrar of Voters.  NOTE: The form cannot be faxed or emailed.

NOTE: 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 register to vote in Louisiana.

Verify your voter registration

It's best to verify your voter registration before applying for your absentee ballot.  If there's a problem with your registration, register again before proceeding.

NOTE: Most people receive their voter registration cards in the mail 2-3 weeks after registering to vote. Don't worry if you lost your voter registration card. You don't actually need it to vote.

Make sure you're eligible to vote by absentee ballot

First-time voters who registered by mail may not vote by absentee ballot.  All other voters may vote by absentee ballot if: 

• you are in the military, the dependent of military personell, or an overseas citizen;
• you are 65 years of age or older;
• you are at home or a nursing or veterans' home resident and you have been previously approved for the Disability Program, or you are disabled, homebound or a nursing or veterans' home resident.  You must submit one of three kinds of current proof of disability with your application:
  
  1. a copy of a mobility impaired identification card issued by the Office of Motor Vehicles;
  2. a copy of social security disability benefits, veteran’s disability benefits, paratransit services, benefits from the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, or benefits from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services; or
  3. a physician’s letter certifying your disability (this is required for a new homebound or nursing home application).

• you are a student, instructor, or professor located and living outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof (if you are a student voting for the first time, you must include a copy of your student ID);
• you are a minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy assigned outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof;
• you are or expect to be temporarily outside the territorial limits of the state or absent from your parish of registration during the early voting period and on election day (if you request a ballot to be mailed to an address within the parish, you must indicate the dates you will be temporarily absent from the state/parish);
• you moved your residence to another parish more than 100 miles from the parish seat of your former residence after the voter registration books closed (30 days prior to the 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 you did not have knowledge 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 expect to be out of your precinct of registration and upon the waters of the state both during the early voting period and on election day because of your employment or occupation;
• you are 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 must attach a certification of the sheriff with your application);
• you are a program participant in the Department of State Address Confidentiality Program; or
• you will be sequestered on the day of the election (you must attach a certified copy of the court order of sequestration with your application).

Apply for your absentee ballot

Download and complete the Louisiana Application for an Absentee Ballot.  Mail, fax, or hand-deliver your completed application to your Parish Registrar of Voters.  Once they process it, they'll mail your ballot to you. Be sure to request your ballot before the deadline!

Your request for an absentee ballot will be rejected if:

• Your request for an absentee ballot was received too early; the earliest a request for an absentee ballot can be accepted is 60 days prior to the election.
• Your request for an absentee ballot was received too late; the request deadline is four days before election day.
• If you registered by mail and have not previously voted in the parish where you registered, you must vote in person either during the early voting period or at the precinct on election day.
• You requested an absentee ballot from a parish or district/precinct where you are not registered to vote.
• You registered after the voter registration books were closed 30 days prior to election day.
• Your request for an absentee ballot was incomplete.

Receive, complete and return your absentee ballot

The form itself is pretty straightforward.  Fill it out, seal it, and sign where indicated.  You must also have the ballot signed by a witness or a notary public.  Return your Absentee Ballot to your Parish Registrar of Voters.  Do NOT mail your ballot to the Secretary of State.

Frequently Asked Questions

I've never voted in my parish before.  Can I vote by absentee ballot?

No, you must vote in person the first time you vote in your Louisiana parish.  You can vote during the early voting period or on election day. 

Do I need to provide ID when I register to vote?

No, but you'll need to vote in person and Louisiana requires that a photo ID from all in-person voters.  Acceptable forms of ID include a Louisiana driver's license, a Louisiana Special ID card, or other generally recognized picture identification card. If you do not have a picture ID card, you may sign an affidavit which will be attached to the precinct register, and you will be required to provide further identification as requested by the Commissioner at the polling place.

Do I need to provide ID when I vote by absentee ballot?

No, Louisiana doesn't require any form of ID for absentee voters!

Can I vote in person before the election?

Yes. Check out our Early Voting page for details.

Additional Information