AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Louisiana on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Louisiana voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied.

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. local time, which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, statewide ballot measures, state House, Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and Louisiana Public Service Commission.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 1.4 million votes were cast in Louisiana’s 2022 race for U.S. Senate.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 27% of all ballots cast in Louisiana’s 2022 race for U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for Louisiana can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

The majority of parishes are expected to release almost all absentee and early vote results in the first vote report of the night, before most in-person Election Day votes are reported.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 9:06 p.m. ET on Nov. 5, six minutes after polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 9:59 p.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 11:06 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There are no automatic recounts in Louisiana, but a candidate may request and pay for a recount of absentee and early votes. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

What happens next?

Louisiana is unique in that the Nov. 3 election will be an open primary for U.S. House races with all candidates on the same ballot, regardless of party. That means the state has not yet held primaries to whittle down the field of candidates for congressional offices. The primary was originally slated for May 16 but was postponed to allow time to redraw the congressional map in light of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that significantly weakened the Voting Rights Act.

To win a seat on Nov. 3, the top candidate must receive at least 50% of the vote, plus one. If no candidate reaches that mark, the top two vote-getters will go on to a Dec. 12 runoff that is known as Louisiana’s general election.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.