Voter Registration: Must Be Current, Consistent and Complete 

Now is the time to confirm documents, details for the fall election.

 
The Presidential Election on November 3 will impact voters in every parish and determine the outcome of hundreds of contests, including for U.S. President, Louisiana’s senior U.S. Senator and all six congressional offices. Voter turnout is expected to be at historically high levels and across the state, League members are engaged daily in efforts to register, educate and motivate voters and taking unprecedented steps to ensure that voters’ rights are protected in Louisiana. 
 
REGISTER TO VOTE AT A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE
All organizations helping to register voters should make sure they are using the most current forms. “During a recent voter registration drive, we discovered that registration forms were slightly modified in 2019,” says Jean Coco, LWV’s voter outreach coordinator in Baton Rouge. “The forms look almost identical to the 2017 version but according to the Secretary of State’s office, outdated forms will be rejected. It’s important that public libraries and other resource organizations check the date and use the most recent registration documents or their voter registration efforts will be wasted.” Coco says the revision date is noted on the top left of the form, which is also available from local Registrar of Voters’ offices and on the Secretary of State’s website: http://www.sos.la.gov.
 
REGISTER TO VOTE BY MAIL
First time voters can download and print a registration form from the GeauxVote portal on the Secretary of State’s websitehttp://www.sos.la.gov. They can then complete the application and mail it to the local Registrar of Voters. The mailed voter registration application must be postmarked at least 30 days prior to the voter’s first election. The deadline for the November ballot is Monday, October 5, so voters are advised to mail the application by the preceding Friday.
 
REGISTER TO VOTE ONLINE
First time voters can register using the online application at the GeauxVote portal on the Secretary of State’s website http://www.sos.la.gov. Online registration requires a personal audit code found on Louisiana driver’s licenses or state issued special ID cards. The deadline for online registration for the November election is Wednesday, October 13.
 
REGISTER TO VOTE AT THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS OFFICE
Voters can also register in person up to 30 days prior to the election at their local registrar’s office or at many government offices, as listed on the Secretary of State’s website http://www.sos.la.gov. To register in person at a registrar’s office, a prospective voter is required to prove age, residency and identity and must submit a current Louisiana driver's license or a birth certificate or other documentation that reasonably and sufficiently establishes one’s identity, age and residency. Prospective voters who have no driver's license, special Louisiana ID or social security number will need a picture ID, a utility bill, payroll check or government document that includes their name and address.
 
UPDATE YOUR REGISTRATION WHEN YOU HAVE A NAME CHANGE
A change of name can be made online through the GeauxVote portal http://www.sos.la.gov or in person by a voter registration application stating the name under which the person desires to be registered. A person who changes their name by virtue of a judgment of court must file a certified copy of the judgment with the registrar of voters.
 
UPDATE YOUR REGISTRATION WHEN YOU MOVE 
Registered voters who have changed residences inside the parish should update their voter registration. You can do so in person—at the registrar’s office or at a voter registration drive—or online. If you have changed residence outside your parish, you can vote in your old parish up to three months after moving, but after that must register in your new parish. Students who are living away from home can register using their school address.

Voters who have moved and whose addresses cannot be confirmed in the annual canvass by mail will be placed on inactive status. Voters can activate their status by verifying or changing their residence address online in advance of the election or in person at the registrar’s office, even on Election Day (before voting). The registration of a voter who does not verify his or her current address and does not participate in two federal general elections may be canceled and will not be permitted to vote until a new registration is submitted to the appropriate registrar.  
 
“It is important for voters to make sure their registrations are current, consistent and complete,” says Ellen Torgrimson, chair of the LWV-LA voter services committee. “The GeauxVote portal is a great resource for anyone who needs to register for the first time, update their existing registration or has questions generally about the upcoming election but the time to do that is now."