The Independent Party of Louisiana will cease to exist as of August 1, following legislation passed earlier this year that transitions the state to a closed party primary system.
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced the party’s dissolution on Monday:
Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced that, due to legislation passed in the 2025 Regular Legislative Session, the Independent Party will cease to exist as a recognized political party in Louisiana on Aug. 1, 2025.
Voters registered as Independent will have their party affiliation automatically changed to “No Party” in the state’s voter registration system. Affected voters will receive a notification by mail, including an updated voter information card.
The Louisiana Legislature mandated this change in Act 84 [legis.la.gov] of the 2025 Regular Session to prepare for the state’s transition to a Closed Party Primary system for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Louisiana Supreme Court, Public Service Commission, and Board of Elementary & Secondary Education contests.
Closed Party Primaries will begin in 2026 and participation will be limited to voters whose party affiliation is listed as Democrat, Republican, or “No Party” on their voter registrations.
“Many Louisiana voters who are registered as Independents mistakenly believe they are unaffiliated with any political party, when in fact they are members of the Independent Party,” Secretary Landry said. “This proactive change will allow voters formerly registered as Independents to participate in Closed Party Primaries next year, preventing voter confusion while maximizing participation.”
“When people register as ‘independent,’ they typically think that means they are not affiliated with any political party—that they are independent of political parties,” said Joel Watson Jr., deputy secretary of state for communications. “But in actuality, in Louisiana, about 150,000 people are Independent Party members.”
Those voters will be reclassified as “no party” voters, joining the more than 650,000 residents already registered with no party affiliation.
The closed primary system means only voters registered with a specific political party will be allowed to vote in that party’s primary. However, under Louisiana law, political parties may still choose to open their primaries to unaffiliated voters.
“No-party voters can choose which party primary they want to vote in,” Watson said. “So it’s going to be really important for folks to remember that when springtime comes and those political party primary races start up.”
Voters registered with other recognized third parties — such as the Green Party or Libertarian Party — will remain affiliated with those parties. Anyone who wrote in a political party on their registration form will also retain that affiliation.
To check or update your voter registration status, visit the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.
