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Louisiana voters have several options when they cast their votes for president Tuesday. They’ll also have choices to make in races for the state’s U.S. Senate seats, and its U.S. House seats.
Although the presidential race is the headliner, the ballot also features a U.S. Senate race, and a Congressional race in each of the state’s six districts.
Here’s what you need to know as you head to the polls:
POLLING HOURS & LOCATIONS: Polls in Louisiana open at 6 a.m. Central Time and close at 8 p.m. Central Time. If you’re in line at your polling location by 8 p.m., and haven’t yet voted, you’ll be able to vote after 8 p.m. If you’re unsure at which precinct you’ll be voting, you can find out through the voter registration lookup tool on the Secretary of the State’s website.
REGISTRATION GUIDELINES: The voter registration deadline in Louisiana was October 11, 2016. Louisiana does not have same day registration. If you’re unsure whether you’re already registered, you can check your status via the state’s registration lookup tool.
TRACKING RESULTS: There are a number of ways to track results. The Secretary of State’s website will be posting results. Politico will also post state-by-state results online, you can find the results from Louisiana here.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN FEDERAL RACES: Donald Trump is favored to carry the state’s eight electoral votes.
Only three times since 1972 has a Democratic presidential candidate managed a win in Louisiana. Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996.
Two dozen candidates are vying for an open seat in the U.S. Senate after incumbent David Vitter decided not to seek re-election. Since no candidate is likely to get the 50-percent-plus-one majority needed to win outright, the top vote-getters will head to a Dec. 10 runoff.
Louisiana has 6 members in the House of Representatives, 1 Democrats and 5 Republicans. Every House seat is up for re-election. Click here for a map of the state’s congressional districts.
- In the first district, incumbent Steve Scalise (R-New Orleans) is up for re-election against Lee Ann Dugas (D), Danil Ezekiel Faust (D), Joe Swider (D), Howard Kearney (L), Eliot Barron (G) and Chuemai Yang (I).
- In the second district, incumbent Cedric Richmond (D-New Orleans) is up for re-election against Kip Holden (D), Kenneth Cutno (D), and Samuel Davenport (L).
- In the third district, Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle (R), Greg Ellison (R), Gus Rantz (R), Former U.S. ambassador Grover Rees (R), Former state rep. Brett Geymann (R), Clay Higgins (R), Bryan Barrilleaux (R), Herman Vidrine (R), Guy McLendon (L), Kenny Scelfo (I), Dorian Phibian (D), and Larry Rader (D) are all on the ballot.
- In the fourth district, Marshall Jones (D), Trey Baucum (R), Elbert Guillory (R), Oliver Jenkins (R), Rick John (R), Mike Johnson (R), Mark Halverson (I), and Kenneth Krefft (I) are running for the seat.
- In the fifth district, incumbent Ralph Abraham (R-Alto) faces Republican Billy Burkette.
- In the sixth district, incumbent Garret Graves (R-Baton Rouge) will face Robert Lamar Bell (R), Richard Lieberman (D), Jermaine Sampson (D), Richard Fontanesi (L), and Devin Lance Graham (Other).
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN STATE RACES:
The Republican party holds a majority in both the state Senate and state House. Republicans control the state Senate with 26 seats to Democrats’ 13 seats. Republicans control the state House with 58 seats to Democrats’ 43 seats.
All House and Senate seats will be up for re-election in 2019.
Democrat John Bel Edwards has served as Governor of Louisiana since 2015 and the next gubernatorial election will take place in 2019.