Ballot access requirements for political parties in Louisiana
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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.
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Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.
To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Louisiana, click here.
Process for a political party to obtain ballot status
See statutes: Title 18, Section 441 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes
Gaining ballot access
In Louisiana, a new political party may be recognized in one of two ways:[1][2]
1. The party meets the following criteria:[2]
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The party must file and pay the registration fee no later than 90 days before the candidate qualifying period opens.[1] In order to maintain ballot access, a party must continue to put candidates on the ballot. If no registered member of the party qualifies as a primary candidate for four consecutive years, the party will cease to be recognized.[1]
2. A candidate affiliated with the political party received at least 5% of the votes in the last presidential election, or if any candidate affiliated with the political party received at least 5% of the vote in a statewide primary or general election.[1]
In order to maintain ballot access, a party must continue to meet the above criteria. If a party does not meet the criteria for four consecutive years, the party will cease to be recognized. As of August 1, 2025, Louisiana does not recognize any party "which declares its name solely to be 'Independent' or the 'Independent Party.'"[1][2]
Political parties
As of August 2025, Louisiana officially recognized four political parties. These are listed in the table below.[4]
| Party | Website link | Bylaws/platform link |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Louisiana | Link | Party platform |
| Green Party of Louisiana | Link | Party bylaws |
| Libertarian Party of Louisiana | Link | Party platform |
| Republican Party of Louisiana | Link | Party platform |
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See also
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Louisiana
- Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Louisiana
- List of political parties in the United States
- Democratic Party of Louisiana
- Republican Party of Louisiana
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Louisiana State Legislature, " RS 18:441," accessed August 5, 2025 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "larecognize" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "larecognize" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "larecognize" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "larecognize" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Political party registration," accessed August 5, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Form," accessed August 4, 2025
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