Voter turnout in Louisiana for the Nov. 3, 2026 election is expected to be around 50%, according to the Secretary of State's office. (Photo by Matthew Perschall/Louisiana Illuminator)
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry expects turnout among registered voters to reach between 48% and 52% once voters go to polls Tuesday, matching levels for midterm election cycles over the past 12 years, her spokesman said.
Trey Williams, Landry’s communications director, shared the projected numbers with a reporter Monday afternoon.
Midterm elections take place halfway through a presidential term when congressional candidates are on the ballot. Their outcomes are often interpreted as a referendum on the president and ruling party’s policies.
Voter turnout for statewide elections during the midterms in Louisiana was 46.7% in 2022, 50.8% in 2018 and 51.5% in 2014. Like this year, a U.S. Senate race was at the top of the ballot in 2014 and 2022.
Presidential elections typically generate the highest turnout. For example, 70.1% and 66.3% of Louisiana registered voters participated in the 2020 and 2024 presidential races, respectively, according to information on the Secretary of State’s website.
This year, the U.S. Senate race between Congresswoman Julia Letlow, R-Baton Rouge, and Democrat Jamie Davis of Tensas Parish is expected to generate the most interest.
Elections for the U.S. House, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, and state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are also taking place, in addition to several judicial and local government races. Voters statewide also have 10 constitutional amendments to decide.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Any voter in line to vote at 8 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot even if they haven’t gotten into a voting booth yet, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Louisiana residents can check to see if they are registered to vote at GeauxVote.com or the smartphone application of the same name. The website and the app provide information about what races are on the ballot for individual voters.
In a statement Monday, Landry requested the public respect election commissioners working at polling places Tuesday. She also warned that lines to vote may be longer than usual because there are several races and the constitutional amendments that will take time for voters to consider in the booth.
Political campaigning is not allowed within 600 feet of a polling location between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Election Day. People are not allowed to wave signs, hand out literature or wear campaign shirts, buttons and hats in these “campaign-free” zones, according to state law.
Violators can face fines of up to $500 or six months in jail for their first offense.
Voters with questions about the election can contact the Secretary of State’s Election Hotline at 1-800-883-2805.
