Central Elections Will Top Off Confusing Array of Four Elections Beginning on May 16

Voters in Central will go to the polls at least four times this year as the state’s new Closed Primary system goes into effect at the same time that other elections proceed under the Open Primary system that Louisiana has had since 1975.

It is a confusing process that has not only voters but election officials scratching their heads.

Things kick off with qualifying Wednesday, Feb. 11 through Friday, Feb. 13 for U.S. Senate and members of Congress.

The Closed Primary for those offices will be held Saturday, May 16 in the first round of voting to choose the Republican and Democratic nominees for U.S. Senate and Congress. Voters who are registered as Republicans can vote in the Republican primary. Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary.  In addition, voters registered as “no party” can choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary.

If a candidate receives a majority in the primary, he will be his party’s nominee in the Nov. 3 general election. If no candidate receives a majority in the primary, the top two vote-getters will appear on the ballot in the Closed Primary runoff election on Saturday, June 27. In that case, the winner of the runoff will appear on the ballot Nov. 3 as the party nominee.

If a voter listed as “no party” votes in the May 16 Closed Party Primary, he may vote in that party’s runoff election June 27.  However, he cannot vote in the primary of one party and then vote in the runoff of another party.

There are four recognized parties in Louisiana: Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, and Green.

Members of the Libertarian and Green parties cannot vote in any primary.

In order to run as a candidate as a Republican or Democrat, a candidate must be registered with that party and pay a fee.  Members of the Libertarian or Green parties and “no party” voters can only qualify to run by filing a petition signed by a certain number of voters, depending on the office.

Currently, the Closed Primary only applies to the offices of U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, Public Service Commission, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Louisiana Supreme Court.

Statewide elected offices, the Louisiana Legislature, and parish and municipal offices are still under Louisiana’s Open Primary.

The Open Primary system will apply to judges and local offices, including Central City officials in the Open Primary Nov. 3 and the Runoff election Dec. 12.

Why are some offices covered by the Closed Primary and others are not?  During consideration of the Closed Primary bill in 2024, many elected officials expressed their opposition to being covered by the Closed Primary, and the Legislature kept them under the Open Primary.