NewsLocal NewsIn Your Parish

Actions

It’s Election Day. Here are some tips for voting

Posted at 6:00 AM, Nov 06, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-06 07:17:35-05

The Secretary of State website has a lot of information about voting in person today.

For specific questions, you can call your local Registrar of Voters. To find the one in your parish, click here.

Polls are open from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. If you are in line at 8 p.m., you have the right to vote.

To find your polling location, click here.  To read our story about what’s on the ballot, click here.

Here are the big three:

  • Be prepared to show a photo identification card with your photo and signature when voting. If you do not have a photo ID, you may obtain a free Louisiana special identification card by presenting your voter registration information card to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) or you may vote by affidavit after correctly answering identifying information before voting.
  • Never wear any campaign shirt, hat, and button or pin when voting. All polling places have a 600 foot campaign free zone.
  • If you didn’t update your voter registration information before October 16, you now have to wait until after the December election. Until then, you can vote at your old polling station.

Here are more details:

When you go to the polls to cast your vote in an election, be sure to take one of the following:
a driver’s license;
a Louisiana Special ID; or
some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.
If you do not have a driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID or some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature, you may still cast your vote by signature on a voter affidavit.

You may get a free Louisiana Special ID at the Office of Motor Vehicles by showing your voter information card.  If you have misplaced your voter information card, contact your registrar of voters for a new one or print your own by logging into the Louisiana Voter Portal as a voter. Click the ‘Voter Registration’ tab at the top then click the ‘Print Voter Information’ link located on the ribbon on the left-hand side.

For problems or questions, you can call your Registrar; state law requires that the main office be open on election day from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Assistance to Voters:

A visibly disabled voter and the person assisting him in voting shall go to the front of the line at their polling place.

A voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if he/she is unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.

A voter must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail if they need assistance in voting or provide certain documentation to the poll worker on election day.

A voter may receive assistance by providing a physician’s certificate certifying to the disability, or a copy of a current mobility impaired ID card issued by the Office of Motor Vehicles or a copy of current documentation showing eligibility for disability benefits from either social security, veteran’s, paratransit services, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities or benefits from Louisiana Rehabilitation Services.

There are people who are not allowed to assist any voter. They are:

  • A candidate in the election
  • The voter’s employer or employer’s agent
  • A union agent if the voter is in the union
  • A commissioner-in-charge
  • Staff of state residential facilities can’t help their resident to vote

For more details about voters who need assistance, click here.