Louisiana voters are about to experience the most significant change to the state’s election system in decades. After years of operating under a “jungle primary” model, Louisiana will begin using a closed-party primary system for a limited set of offices starting in 2026. The shift is technical, but the consequences are very real for how — and whether — you get to vote in certain races.
Here’s what’s changing, who it affects, and what you should do now to avoid surprises when you show up at the polls.
For decades, Louisiana has used an open primary system where all candidates for an office, regardless of party, appeared on the same ballot. Every voter could choose any candidate. If someone won a majority outright, the election was over. If not, the top two advanced to a runoff.
That system is now partially gone.
During the 2024 First Extraordinary Session, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 1, which creates closed-party primaries for certain high-profile offices. Under this new structure, Democrats and Republicans will each select their own nominees first. Those nominees will then face off against candidates from other parties in the general election.
The most immediate difference voters will notice is this: your ballot in the primary will now depend on your registered party affiliation.
If you are registered as a Democrat, you will only see Democratic candidates for offices that use the closed-party system. The same applies to Republicans. You will not be able to cross over and vote in the other party’s primary, even if you’ve done so for years.
If you are registered as “No Party,” you will still have a choice — but it comes with strings attached. At the polling place, you may select either a Democratic or Republican primary ballot. Once you make that choice, you are locked into that party’s contest for the entire primary cycle, including any runoff. You cannot switch parties between rounds.
Voters registered with smaller parties — such as Green, Libertarian, or other recognized parties — will not be able to participate in closed-party primaries at all. They will still be able to vote in any races that remain open, but for these newly closed contests, they sit out until the general election.
It’s also important to understand that not every race on your ballot will follow this new system. You may see a mix of closed and open contests in the same election. That means two voters standing next to each other in line could legitimately receive different ballots.
The closed-party primary does not apply across the board. Lawmakers limited the change to five offices: U.S. House, U.S. Senate, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. All other offices — including most state and local races — will continue to use the traditional open primary system.
Even within those offices, not every seat will necessarily be up for election in 2026. Terms are staggered, so some affected positions may not appear on the ballot until later cycles.
The way winners are determined also changes depending on the stage of the election. In the party primaries, a candidate must win a true majority — more than 50 percent — to advance directly to the general election. If no one reaches that threshold, the top two candidates within that party go to a runoff.
Once the general election arrives, the math shifts. The winner will be decided by a simple plurality. Whoever gets the most votes wins, even if that total is well below 50 percent. There is no majority requirement and no general-election runoff for these offices.
All of this makes one thing absolutely critical: your voter registration has never mattered more.
Your party affiliation — not how you usually vote, not which signs you like, not which candidates you support — determines what ballot you are allowed to cast in a closed-party primary. Many Louisianans registered years ago and never looked back. Others never selected a party at all. Neither situation is inherently wrong, but both can limit your options if you don’t know where you stand.
Deadlines matter. Changes made by mail or in person must be completed 30 days before an election. Online changes close 20 days before Election Day. Miss those windows, and you’re locked in for that cycle.
You can check and update your registration through the Louisiana Secretary of State at GeauxVote.com, through the GeauxVote Mobile App, or by visiting your parish Registrar of Voters or Clerk of Court.
As the May 2026 elections approach, voters should take a few minutes now to confirm their registration, understand which offices will appear under the new rules, and know what choices they will — and won’t — have in the primary. Closed-party primaries reward preparation and punish assumptions. The state is not easing into this change, and neither should voters.
The rules are different. The stakes are the same. Knowing how the system works before you vote is no longer optional — it’s the price of participation.