§402. Dates of primary and general elections
A. Gubernatorial elections. Elections for governor and officers elected at the same
time as the governor shall be held every four years, beginning in 1983.
(1) Gubernatorial primary elections shall be held on the third to last Saturday in
October of an election year.
(2) Gubernatorial general elections shall be held on the fifth Saturday after the third
to last Saturday in October of an election year.
B. Congressional elections. Elections for members of congress and officers elected
at the same time as members of congress shall be held every two years, beginning in 1982.
(1) Primary elections for members of congress and officers elected at the same time
as members of congress shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November of an election year.
(2) General elections for members of congress and officers elected at the same time
as members of congress shall be held on the fifth Saturday after the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November of an election year.
C. Municipal and ward elections. In all municipalities with a population of less than
three hundred thousand, elections for municipal and ward officers who are not elected at the
same time as the governor or members of congress shall be held every four years.
(1) Primary elections for municipal and ward officers who are not elected at the same
time as the governor or members of congress shall be held on the last Saturday in March of
an election year, or on the first Saturday in March of the presidential election year.
(2) General elections for municipal and ward officers who are not elected at the same
time as the governor or members of congress shall be held on the fifth Saturday after the last
Saturday in March of an election year unless the primary election for such officers is held on
the first Saturday in March; in such case, the general election shall be held on the fifth
Saturday after the first Saturday in March of an election year.
D. Parochial and municipal elections in a parish containing a municipality with a
population of three hundred thousand or more. Elections for parochial and municipal
officers in a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand
or more shall be held every four years, beginning in 2017, as follows:
(1) Primary elections for parochial and municipal officers shall be held on the second
Saturday in October of an election year.
(2) General elections for parochial and municipal officers shall be held on the fifth
Saturday after the second Saturday in October of an election year.
E. Special elections to fill newly created office or vacancy in office. An election to
fill a newly created office or vacancy in an existing office, except the office of representative
in congress, shall be held on the dates fixed by the appropriate authority in the proclamation
ordering a special election as follows:
(1) A special primary election shall be held on the first of the following days that is
after the date on which the proclamation calling the special primary election was issued,
provided that the proclamation was issued at least four weeks prior to the opening of the
qualifying period for the special primary election:
(a) The third to last Saturday in October, when the special general election is held
on the fifth Saturday after the third to last Saturday in October.
(b) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, when the special general
election is held on the fifth Saturday after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November.
(c) The last Saturday in March, when the special general election is held on the fifth
Saturday after the last Saturday in March or on the first Saturday in March during the
presidential election year.
(d) The second Saturday in October, when the special general election is held on the
fifth Saturday after the second Saturday in October of 1985 and every fourth year thereafter.
(e) The second Saturday in October of an election year for parish and municipal
officers in a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand
or more.
(2) A special general election shall be held on one of the following days:
(a) The fifth Saturday after the third to last Saturday in October of 1983 and every
fourth year thereafter.
(b) The fifth Saturday after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of
even-numbered years.
(c) The fifth Saturday after the last Saturday in March of any year unless the primary
election is held on the first Saturday in March; in such case, the general election shall be held
on the fifth Saturday after the first Saturday in March.
(d) The fifth Saturday after the second Saturday in October of 1985 and every fourth
year thereafter.
(e) The fifth Saturday after the second Saturday in October in a parish containing a
municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more, when the special primary
election in such parish and municipality is held on the second Saturday in October of an
election year for parish and municipal officers.
(3) The secretary of state shall not include the name of any candidate on any ballot
for a special election to fill a vacancy in any office to which this Subsection is applicable
unless such special election has been called in accordance with the provisions of this
Subsection and scheduled on one of the dates provided herein. Any elector who is eligible
to vote in any such special election may apply for injunctive relief to prohibit the placing of
the name of any candidate in an improperly called election on the ballot. Venue for such
application shall be in any parish in which the election is called, and the secretary of state
shall be the proper party defendant.
F. Bond, tax, or other elections. Every bond, tax, or other election at which a
proposition or question is to be submitted to the voters shall be held only on one of the
following dates:
(1) The third to last Saturday in October or the fifth Saturday after the third to last
Saturday in October of 1983 and every fourth year thereafter.
(2)(a) The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November or the fifth Saturday
after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, the fifth
Saturday after the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November shall not be applicable
in a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred thousand or more
for an election relative to a parcel fee imposed within a security or neighborhood
improvement district. For purposes of this Subparagraph, "security or neighborhood
improvement district" means a special district one of the primary purposes of which is aiding
in crime prevention and adding to the security of district residents by providing for an
increased presence of law enforcement personnel in the district or otherwise promoting and
encouraging security in the district.
(3) The last Saturday in March or the fifth Saturday after the last Saturday in March
of any year or on the first Saturday in March or the fifth Saturday after the first Saturday in
March during the presidential election year.
(4) The second Saturday in October or the fifth Saturday after the second Saturday
in October of 1985 and every fourth year thereafter.
(5) Repealed by Acts 2008, No. 134, §1.
(6) For a parish containing a municipality with a population of three hundred
thousand or more, the second Saturday in October or the fifth Saturday after the second
Saturday in October in 2017 and every fourth year thereafter.
(7) Repealed by Acts 2015, No. 307, §3, eff. June 29, 2015.
G. Prohibited days. (1) No election of any kind shall be held in this state on any of
the days of Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, the first
two days and the last two days of Passover, Shavuot, Tish'a B'Av, the two days preceding
Labor Day or the three days preceding Easter. If the date of any election falls on any of the
above-named days, the election shall be held on the same weekday of the preceding week.
(2)(a) If the date for the primary election is advanced in accordance with the
provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the general election shall be advanced the
same number of weeks as the primary election.
(b) If the date for the general election is advanced in accordance with the provisions
of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the primary election shall be advanced the same number
of weeks as the general election.
Acts 1976, No. 697, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 333, §1, eff.
Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1977, No. 545, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1978; Acts 1978, No. 38, §1, eff. May 31,
1978; Acts 1978, No. 720, §1, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 229, §1, eff. July 13, 1979;
Acts 1980, No. 43, §1, eff. June 5, 1980; Acts 1980, No. 664, §1, eff. July 24, 1980; Acts
1981, No. 77, §1, eff. June 26, 1981; Acts 1982, No. 10, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1983; Acts 1982, No.
778, §1, eff. Aug. 4, 1982; Acts 1983, No. 519, §1, eff. July 8, 1983; Acts 1984, No. 672, §1;
Acts 1986, No. 669, §1; Acts 1987, No. 831, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1989, No. 727, §2,
eff. Jan. 1, 1990; Acts 1990, No. 107, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1991; Acts 1991, No. 277, §1; Acts
1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 42, §1, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1997, No. 1420, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998
(R.S. 18:402(E)(4) eff. July 1, 1997); Acts 1999, No. 254, §§1, 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Acts
2001, No. 542, §1; Acts 2006, No. 560, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2006, No. 621, §3; Acts
2006, No. 705, §1; Acts 2006, No. 845, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2007; Acts 2008, No. 134, §1; Acts
2010, No. 570, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 22, §1; Acts 2011, No. 201,
§1, eff. Jan.1, 2012; Acts 2011, No. 293, §1; Acts 2012, No. 138, §1, eff. May 14, 2012; Acts
2012, No. 139, §1, eff. May 14, 2012; Acts 2013, No. 95, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2015; Acts 2013,
No. 318, §1; Acts 2014, No. 792, §1; Acts 2015, No. 307, §§1, 3, eff. June 29, 2015; Acts
2015, No. 410, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2016; Acts 2017, No. 176, §1, eff. June 14, 2017.