New Orleans, It's Time to Vote: Early Voting Starts Oct. 20
New Orleans voters have an opportunity to make their voices heard before Election Day. Early voting for Louisiana’s November 3, 2026, election begins Tuesday, October 20, and continues through Tuesday, October 27, giving voters eight calendar days to cast their ballots ahead of the general election.
Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with all early-voting locations closed Sunday, October 25. Voters do not need an excuse to vote early, and they can choose the location most convenient for them among the designated Orleans Parish sites.
With a high-stakes U.S. Senate contest, congressional races, 10 proposed amendments to the Louisiana Constitution, and a New Orleans city charter question on the ballot, voters have plenty of reasons to review their choices before heading to the polls.
WHERE TO VOTE EARLY IN NEW ORLEANS
Orleans Parish voters can cast early ballots at the following locations:
City Hall: 1300 Perdido St., Room 1W24, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Algiers Courthouse: 225 Morgan St., Room 105, New Orleans, LA 70114.
Lake Vista Community Center: 6500 Spanish Fort Blvd., Second Floor Meeting Room, New Orleans, LA 70122.
Voting Machine Warehouse: 8870 Chef Menteur Highway, New Orleans, LA 70127.
All four locations are scheduled to operate from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the early-voting period, except Sunday, October 25.
Voters should bring an acceptable form of identification, such as a Louisiana driver's license, Louisiana identification card, LA Wallet digital driver's license, or another qualifying photo ID. Voters who cannot provide an acceptable ID may be able to vote by completing a voter affidavit.
For Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters must go to their assigned precinct on Election Day; early-voting locations are not necessarily their regular polling places.
WHAT'S ON THE BALLOT?
U.S. Senate
Louisiana voters will choose a U.S. senator to serve a six-year term. Republican Julia Letlow faces Democratic nominee Jamie Davis in the contest to succeed Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, who lost his party's primary earlier this year.
The Senate race is among the most prominent contests on the ballot, with implications for federal legislation, health care, disaster recovery, infrastructure, and national spending priorities.
U.S. House of Representatives
All six of Louisiana's congressional districts are included in the November 3 election cycle. Unlike the Senate contest, the U.S. House races will use an open primary on November 3. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in a district, the top two candidates will advance to a December 12 runoff.
New Orleans area voters should check their congressional district and sample ballot to determine which candidates are seeking to represent them.
Ten proposed Louisiana constitutional amendments
Voters statewide will decide whether to approve 10 proposed changes to the Louisiana Constitution. The measures address property-tax relief, criminal justice, state finances, environmental infrastructure, and limits on gubernatorial terms.
The proposals include:
Amendment 1: Allows certain surviving spouses of deceased disabled veterans to transfer an additional property-tax exemption to a new home one time.
Amendment 2: Changes how local taxing authorities adjust property-tax millages following property reassessments.
Amendment 3: Prohibits post-conviction bail for people convicted of aggravated offenses against minor children.
Amendment 4: Establishes a lifetime limit of two terms for Louisiana governors.
Amendment 5: Changes constitutional rules governing the use of nonrecurring state revenue to pay down retirement-system debt.
Amendment 6: Allows additional property-tax exemptions for certain qualifying homeowners age 65 and older.
Amendment 7: Permits public funds to be used to replace certain hazardous drinking-water service lines on private property.
Amendment 8: Prohibits certain foreign adversaries from exercising expropriation powers.
Amendment 9: Raises the income limit for qualifying homeowners to receive a special property-tax assessment freeze.
Amendment 10: Authorizes a property-tax exemption for qualifying rehabilitated blighted or derelict property.
These proposals could affect homeowners, local tax revenue, public finances, and the state's criminal-justice and executive-government rules. Voters should review the official wording and explanations before deciding how to vote.
New Orleans City Charter Amendment
New Orleans voters will also consider a proposed city charter amendment concerning City Hall's budget and spending authority. The proposal would give the City Council greater control over departmental spending and is intended by its supporters to strengthen fiscal oversight and accountability following the city's financial challenges.
Because this measure applies specifically to New Orleans, it is especially important for Orleans Parish voters to read the exact ballot language and understand how a change could affect the relationship between the mayor's administration and the City Council.
Other State and Local Contests
Depending on the district, voters may also encounter contests involving the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), judicial offices, and other local races or ballot questions. The candidates and contests appearing on an individual ballot can vary by address and voting district.
HOW TO PREPARE BEFORE YOU GO
Voters can review their registration, find their assigned polling place, and access their sample ballot through the Louisiana Secretary of State's voter portal at https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Home/VoterLogin.
The Secretary of State's elections website, https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting, also provides official election schedules, voting instructions, and ballot information.
Early voting offers voters a chance to avoid the Election Day rush, take time to review the constitutional amendments, and make informed decisions about the candidates and issues that will shape Louisiana's future.
Early voting runs October 20–27, excluding Sunday, October 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Check your ballot. Make a plan. And make your vote count.We have got to stop living in this self-fulfilling prophecy that a Black candidate cannot win a statewide race in Louisiana. Because as long as we convince ourselves that victory is impossible, we guarantee that we will never do what it takes to make it possible.