NEW ORLEANS — The deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot for the 2020 November election in Louisiana — Oct. 30 — has passed.
In Louisiana, you must have a reason to vote by mail unless you are a military or overseas voter. If you meet one of the specific reasons listed below, you must also submit an application requesting a mail ballot.
Applications for mail-in ballots can be submitted through the Louisiana Secretary of State's online system or you may print and mail an application directly to your registrar of voters.
You can apply for an absentee ballot now. There is no start date, and Louisiana's election and voting website recommend doing it as soon as possible. Once the application is accepted by the registrar of voters, you can vote by mail.
The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is October 30.
Officials want you to plan for standard mail delivery times and the return ballot deadline when you apply for a mail-in ballot. They want to make sure your voted ballot is received before the deadline — Nov. 2. If it is, your vote is counted.
Disabled voters, military voters, and overseas voters can get their mail-in ballot electronically.
Reasons to Apply For Mail-In Ballot:
Coronavirus Pandemic:
- Experiencing Symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis
- At higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 due to serious medical conditions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (including chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, hypertension or other serious heart conditions, diabetes, undergoing chemotherapy, severe obesity, chronic kidney disease and undergoing dialysis, liver disease, pregnancy, immunocompromised due to cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications.
- Subject to medically necessary quarantine or isolation as a result of COVID-19
- Advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns
- Caring for an individual who is subject to necessary quarantine or isolation order as a result of COVID-19 or has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to COVID-19 concerns.
General Reasons to Apply
- Senior Citizen: If you are 65 years of age or older you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Temporarily Absent: If you are temporarily outside of Louisiana or your parish during the early voting period and on election day, or expect to be, you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Offshore: If you work or expect to be offshore working during the early voting period and on election day, you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Nursing Home: If you reside in a nursing home, veterans' home or a hospital for an extended stay for a physical disability and are unable to vote in person during early voting or at the polls on election day, you may apply through a General Application and enroll in the nursing home early voting program.
- Higher Education: If you are a student, instructor or professor located and living outside of your parish of registration, or the spouse/dependent thereof, you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Clergy: If you are minister, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy assigned outside of your parish of registration, or a spouse/dependent, you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Moved Out of Parish: If you moved more than 100 miles from the parish seat of your former residence after the voter registration books closed (30 days prior to an election), you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Involuntary Confinement: If 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 may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Hospitalized: If you expect to be hospitalized on election day and did not have knowledge of the hospitalization 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 may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Incarcerated: If you are incarcerated or expect to be 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 may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Address Confidentiality Program: If you are a program participant in the secretary of state's Address Confidentiality Program, you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
- Juror: If you will be sequestered on the day of the election, you may apply through a General Application and once accepted by the registrar of voters, vote by mail.
Disability Reasons to Apply:
- Physical Disability: If you are physically disabled, you may apply through the Disabled Application and if not enrolled, enroll in the disability program.
- Homebound: If you are homebound and cannot vote without assistance, you may apply through the Disabled Application and if not enrolled, enroll in the disability program.
For more specific information about each of these application qualifications, visit the Louisiana Secretary of State's website. If you need help voting or have any questions, contact your registrar of voters.
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