Elections in Louisiana

Since 1977 state elections in Louisiana have used a unique system similar to the majority-runoff system used in some other jurisdictions, which in Louisiana has become known as a “jungle” primary[1] or an "open" primary, where all the candidates for an office run together in one election. If someone gets a majority, that individual wins outright; otherwise, the top two candidates, irrespective of partisan affiliation, meet in a runoff election. This primary system is used for state, parish, municipal, and Congressional races, but is not used for presidential elections.[2]

Elections in Louisiana
Federal government Presidential Elections 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 Dem GOP 2012 Dem 2016 Dem 2020 Dem U.S. Senate 1812 1813 1813 1817 1818 1818 1819 1823 1824 1824 1825 1829 1831 1831 1833 1835 1836 1837 1837 1840 1843 1844 1847 1847 1848 1852 1853 1853 1859 1868 1876 1876 1879 1882 1889 1891 1894 1894 1896 1900 1904 1908 1910 1912 1914 1918 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1932 1936 1936 1938 1942 1944 1948 1948 1950 1954 1956 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 U.S. House 1806 Territory 1812 1814 1816 1818 at-large Sp 1820 1822 1824 1826 1828 1830 1832 1834 1836 1838 1840 1843 1844 1847 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 5th Sp 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1920 1928 1936 1940 1942 1944 3rd Sp 1946 1948 1952 1956 1958 1968 1972 7th Sp 1980 3rd Sp 1986 1988 4th Sp 1990 1994 1996 1998 1st Sp 2002 2004 2006 2008 1st Sp 6th Sp 2010 2012 2013 5th Sp 2014 2016 2018 2020 2nd Sp 5th Sp
State government State elections by year 2007 2010 2011 2015 2019 Gubernatorial 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1830 (special) 1834 1838 1842 1846 1849 1852 1855 1859 1863 (Confederate) 1864 (Union) 1865 1868 1872 1876 1879 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 Lieutenant gubernatorial 2010 (special) 2015 2019 Attorney General 2011 2015 2019
Ballot measures 2004 Amendment 1
Baton Rouge Mayoral elections 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
New Orleans Mayoral elections 1866 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1965 1969–70 1973 1977 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2017 New Orleans City Council 2006 2010 2014
Shreveport Mayoral elections 2014
Government

Louisiana
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Louisiana
Constitution and Law United States Constitution Louisiana Constitution Louisiana Law
Executive Governor John Bel Edwards (D) State Cabinet Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser (R) Secretary of State Tom Schedler (R) Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) State Treasurer John Schroder (R) Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain (R) Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon (R) Public Service Commission Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Legislature State Senate President John Alario (R) President pro tempore Gerald Long (R) House of Representatives Speaker Taylor Barras (R) Speaker pro tempore Walt Leger III (D)
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson (D) Weimer (N) Guidry (R) Clark (R) Hughes (R) Crichton (R) Genovese (R) Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal Louisiana District Courts Parish and City Courts Mayor’s Courts Justice of the Peace Courts
Elections Nonpartisan blanket primary Political parties Qualified Louisiana Parties Democratic Party Republican Party Green Party Reform Party Libertarian Party National minor parties Political party strength
Administrative divisions Parishes (64) Municipalities (303) School districts
Federal Representation United States Senators See also: List of United States Senators from Louisiana John N. Kennedy (R) Bill Cassidy (R) U.S. Representatives 1: Steve Scalise (R) 2: Cedric Richmond (D) 3: Clay Higgins (R) 4: John Fleming (R) 5: Ralph Abraham (R) 6: Garret Graves (R)
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Louisiana is one of only five states that elects its state officials in odd-numbered years. (The others are Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia). Louisiana holds elections for these offices every four years in the year preceding a Presidential election. Thus, the two most recent gubernatorial elections in Louisiana took place in 2015 and 2019. Louisiana is one of 18 states that run separate elections for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, a process that has resulted in Governor-Lieutenant Governor pairs from different parties and/or widely differing political ideologies. For example, current Governor John Bel Edwards is a Democrat, while Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser is a Republican.

Louisiana's unique primary system was instituted in 1975 by Democratic Governor Edwin Edwards.[3] Until 1997, the open primary election was held in October, meaning that no election would be held in November if the leading candidate won over 50 percent of the vote in October.[3] Between 2008 and 2010, federal races did not use the jungle primary system.[4][5] Between the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Shelby County v. Holder (a 2013 Supreme Court case), changes to Louisiana election law required preclearance with the United States Department of Justice.[6]

Elections in Louisiana fall under the purview of the Secretary of State. Louisiana's current Secretary of State is Kyle Ardoin.