The ID rules change July 1, 2027
Right now, if you show up to vote without a photo ID, you can sign a form called a Voter Identification Affidavit and still vote.
Starting July 1, 2027, that option goes away. After that date, if you do not have a photo ID you cannot cast your ballot at your normal polling place. You will have to go to the Registrar of Voters office and bring extra documents, and you will have only 48 hours after the election to prove who you are or your ballot will not count.
If you do not have a Louisiana driver’s license or state ID, get one before then. If you are registered to vote, the state ID is free. See the ID section below.
Everything you need to vote in New Orleans: what ID to bring, how to register, when and where to vote, and what each office on your ballot actually does. If you have never voted before, start at the top and work down.
1. Can I vote?
You can register to vote in Louisiana if you are:
- A U.S. citizen
- At least 17 years old to register, and 18 by election day
- Living in Louisiana at the address where you register
- Not currently in prison for a felony
If you have a felony conviction
A felony conviction does not permanently take away your right to vote in Louisiana. A lot of people believe it does and never register again. That is wrong.
If you are not in prison, you may be eligible to register right now — the rules while on probation or parole depend on your specific situation and how recently you were incarcerated. Do not assume you are barred. Call or email the Registrar of Voters and ask — they will check your status for you, the call is free, and it takes minutes: (504) 658-8300 or ORLEANSROVA@SOS.LA.GOV. VoteRiders (linked at the bottom of this page) can also walk you through it.
2. The ID you need, and how to get one free
What counts as photo ID right now
- Louisiana driver’s license
- Louisiana special identification card
- LA Wallet digital driver’s license
- U.S. military ID with your name and picture
- Another generally recognized picture ID with your name and signature
If you don’t have any of those
Through the rest of 2026 and into mid-2027: you can still vote. Ask the poll worker for the Voter Identification Affidavit (form AV-34). You sign it, confirming your identity, and you vote normally. You cannot be turned away for lacking ID.
From July 1, 2027 forward: that form no longer exists. Get an ID before then.
Get a free Louisiana ID card
If you are a registered voter, the Louisiana special identification card costs you nothing. Bring your voter information card to any Office of Motor Vehicles and ask for the free special ID card for voters.
If you do not have your voter information card, the Registrar of Voters can issue you one.
OMV — Veterans Blvd
100 Veterans Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
(504) 483-1870
OMV — New Orleans East, Bullard Ave
7500 Bullard Ave #104, New Orleans, LA 70128
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
(504) 243-7501
Tip: make an appointment online before you go, and get there early. Walk-in waits at both locations can run long.
Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters
This is who you call about your registration, your voter card, your felony-conviction status, or anything on this page you want confirmed by a person. Registrar: Lisa Marie Manning Bridges.
City Hall office
1300 Perdido Street, Room 1W24, New Orleans, LA 70112
(504) 658-8300
Algiers Courthouse office
225 Morgan Street, Room 105, New Orleans, LA 70114
(504) 658-8323
Email: ORLEANSROVA@SOS.LA.GOV
3. Register to vote
Three ways. The deadlines are different for each one — the online deadline is later, so if you miss the in-person date you may still have time online.
Online
Through the GeauxVote Online Registration System. You need a Louisiana driver’s license or state ID number.
Deadline: 20 days before election day.
In person or by mail
At the Registrar of Voters office, or at any OMV location when you get your license or ID.
Deadline: 30 days before election day. This is the earlier deadline — do not wait.
Already registered? Check anyway.
If you moved, changed your name, or want to change your party, you must update your registration. Louisiana updates your voter address automatically from your license, so if your license still has your old address, your registration does too.
4. Your party choice now affects your ballot
This is new in 2026 and it catches people out.
Louisiana used to let everyone vote for any candidate in the first round, regardless of party. That changed. For four specific offices, Louisiana now uses closed party primaries:
- U.S. Senate
- U.S. House of Representatives
- Louisiana Supreme Court
- Public Service Commission
For those four races, you only get candidates from your own registered party. Registered Democrats see Democratic candidates. Registered Republicans see Republican candidates. If you are registered with no party, those races may not appear on your primary ballot at all.
Everything else works the way it always did. Mayor, District Attorney, Sheriff, City Council, School Board, and judgeships are not affected — everyone votes for everyone in those races.
You can change your party registration at the Registrar of Voters office or through the voter portal, subject to the registration deadlines above.
5. When to vote
You have three ways to cast a ballot. Early voting is the easiest and almost nobody uses it.
Vote early — no excuse needed
Any registered voter can vote early. You do not need a reason. It is the same ballot, it counts the same, and the lines are shorter.
Early voting runs 14 days before election day through 7 days before, from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Sundays. For presidential elections the window opens 18 days out.
Vote on election day
You must go to your own assigned polling place. Poll hours vary by election type, so check the official calendar before you go.
Vote by mail (absentee)
Louisiana is not a vote-by-mail state. Unlike early voting, you need a qualifying reason. Military and overseas voters are exempt from that requirement.
Reasons that qualify include being temporarily out of the parish during both early voting and election day; being hospitalized; being disabled, homebound, or in a nursing or veterans’ home; being a student, instructor, or professor at a school outside your parish; being clergy assigned outside the parish; and being incarcerated while not under a felony order of imprisonment.
Voters who are 65 or older or who have a disability can apply once to receive ballots automatically for future elections.
Request deadline is 4:30 PM on the 4th day before the election. Your voted ballot must be received by 4:30 PM the day before — postmarks do not count. You must apply separately for every election.
Dates change every cycle. The calendar link above always shows current dates — use it rather than trusting any date printed elsewhere, including here.
6. Where to vote
Find your polling place
Your election-day polling place is assigned by your address and can change between elections. Always look it up rather than assuming.
The state also runs a free GeauxVote mobile app with your registration, sample ballot, polling place, and election reminders.
Early voting sites in Orleans Parish
During early voting, any registered Orleans Parish voter can use any of these four sites. You are not tied to one location the way you are on election day. Pick whichever is easiest to reach.
Open 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, closed Sundays. Confirm the site is open for your specific election before traveling.
City Hall — Downtown
1300 Perdido Street, Room 1W24, New Orleans, LA 70112
Also the Registrar of Voters main office — register in person, get a voter information card, or ask about felony-conviction eligibility here.
Algiers Courthouse — West Bank
225 Morgan Street, Room 105, New Orleans, LA 70114 · (504) 658-8323
Also a Registrar of Voters office. Walkable from the Canal Street ferry landing. Wheelchair ramp at the rear of the building.
Chef Menteur Warehouse — New Orleans East
8870 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans, LA 70127
Lake Vista Community Center — Lakeview
6500 Spanish Fort Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124
Closed Sundays and holidays. Look for the “Vote Here” signs.
7. What’s on your ballot
Your ballot depends on your address. Two people in New Orleans can get different ballots because they live in different council districts, legislative districts, or judicial sections.
Look up your own sample ballot, then read up on the offices below before you go.
8. The offices you’re voting for
Most people know the mayor and the president. The offices in between decide more of your daily life and get a fraction of the turnout. Here is what each one actually does.
City & Parish
Mayor
Runs city government day to day — police and fire, streets, sanitation, permits, the city budget. Appoints department heads. 4-year term, 2-term limit.
City Council
Passes city laws and approves the budget the mayor proposes. Controls zoning — what can be built where. Also regulates utilities in New Orleans, which is unusual: your Entergy rates run through the Council, not the state. Seven members: five district seats and two at-large. 4-year terms.
District Attorney
Decides who gets prosecuted and for what. Chooses which charges to bring, which cases to drop, and what plea deals to offer. Enormous discretion, low turnout elections. 6-year term.
Sheriff
Runs the Orleans Justice Center jail, provides courthouse security, and serves civil papers including eviction notices. 4-year term.
You elect the Sheriff. You do not elect the police chief. The NOPD Superintendent is appointed by the mayor. People often mix these up and then aim complaints about street policing at the Sheriff, who does not control it — or assume the police chief is on the ballot, and they are not.
Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office — 2800 Perdido Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
Clerk of Criminal District Court
Keeps court records and runs elections at the parish level, including managing voting machines and poll commissioners. 4-year term.
Assessor
Sets the assessed value of every property in the parish. That value determines your property tax bill, and if you rent, it feeds into your rent. One assessor parish-wide. 4-year term.
Coroner
Determines cause of death in unattended, violent, or suspicious deaths. Also handles emergency mental health commitments in Orleans Parish. 4-year term.
Orleans Parish School Board
Oversees public schools, authorizes and renews charters, and approves the school system budget. Seven district seats. 4-year terms.
Sewerage & Water Board and Levee Boards
Drinking water, drainage, and flood protection. In a city below sea level these are life-and-death agencies. Mostly appointed rather than elected, but worth knowing who sits on them.
Courts
Criminal, Civil, Municipal & Traffic, and Juvenile Courts
Judges decide bail, hear criminal cases, handle evictions and family matters, and rule on juvenile cases. Judicial races have some of the lowest turnout on the ballot and some of the most direct effect on people’s lives. Elected by section or division. Terms vary.
Louisiana Supreme Court & Courts of Appeal
Hear appeals and set precedent binding on every lower court in the state. Supreme Court justices serve 10-year terms — longer than any other office you vote for.
Note: Louisiana Supreme Court races now use closed party primaries. See section 4.
State
Governor & statewide offices
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State (who runs elections), Attorney General, Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner. 4-year terms, elected together in odd years. Next up in October 2027.
State Legislature
State senators and representatives write state law — criminal sentencing, education funding, health policy, and the state budget. New Orleans elects a delegation across several districts. 4-year terms.
BESE & Public Service Commission
BESE sets K-12 education policy statewide. The Public Service Commission regulates utilities outside New Orleans and sets rates for much of the state.
Note: PSC races now use closed party primaries. See section 4.
Federal
U.S. House of Representatives
Writes federal law and controls federal spending. New Orleans sits in Louisiana’s 2nd district. 2-year terms — on the ballot more often than any other office.
U.S. Senate
Writes federal law, confirms federal judges and cabinet officials, ratifies treaties. Louisiana has two senators. 6-year terms.
Note: both congressional races now use closed party primaries. See section 4.
9. Learn more
Get help with an ID
VoteRiders — free help getting the ID you need to vote, including covering document costs. Especially relevant before the 2027 rule change.
Know your rights
NAACP Legal Defense Fund — Louisiana voter guide and rights information. LDF was founded in part on Louisiana voting rights litigation.
League of Women Voters of Louisiana — nonpartisan candidate information and ballot explanations.
Books on voting rights
- One Person, No Vote by Carol Anderson — how voter suppression works mechanically, written for a general reader.
- Bending Toward Justice by Gary May — the Voting Rights Act, from Selma through the Supreme Court decisions that narrowed it.
- Give Us the Ballot by Ari Berman — the fight over voting rights from 1965 to now.
- The Voting Rights War by Gloria Browne-Marshall — the legal history, told through the NAACP’s casework.
- Freedom Summer by Bruce Watson — the 1964 Mississippi registration campaign and what it cost.
All five are widely available through the New Orleans Public Library.
Verified July 2026. Election dates and deadlines change every cycle — always confirm current dates with the Louisiana Secretary of State elections calendar.
