Louisiana has rewritten the election rules for congressional and certain state elections, moving to a closed party primary system that will provide new rules for how voters participate.
The non-partisan Public Affairs Research Council has issued a guide on this process - as they do for Constitutional Amendments, public meetings and open records laws, and many other state-level issues that citizens need clear information about. To get it, scroll down.
The closed primary system will change the way millions of state residents cast their ballots, limit the candidates that voters can choose in the primary election and lock tens of thousands of voters out of the primary election entirely.
The new system affects only a few races - all local races will continue operating as they have before.
"Closed primaries will be used for elections to Congress, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission and the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education," the guide states. "All other races will continue under the open primary system Louisiana has used for years, where all candidates, regardless of party, run against each other at the same time."
Here's the guide:
