Application Guidelines
1) Contact the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Operations to confirm that your registered address qualifies you for the position you intend to run for, and that you meet other office specific qualifications. Obtain the required qualifying forms. 2) Complete the required qualifying forms and submit the qualifying forms to the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Operations. The qualifying forms require either the submission of a qualifying fee or nomination papers. Additional paperwork, such as campaign finance forms, must be filed as well. 3) If you are running for a position contested during the federal election, the qualifying window is from the 3rd Wednesday in July until the following Friday. If you are running for a position contested during the gubernatorial election (state representatives and state senators are elected during this type of election), the filing window takes place from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in August until the following Thursday. Petition signature requirements vary by office. Candidates qualify with the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Operations. Louisiana has a “jungle” primary system where all candidates regardless of political party affiliation appear on the same primary ballot. The primary for federal positions occurs on the general election date in November. If no candidate attains a majority of the vote during the primary, a Louisiana general election is held the 2nd Saturday in December. The primary for gubernatorial positions is held the 2nd to last Saturday in October and the gubernatorial general is held 4 Saturdays afterwards. If you have any questions or concerns you are encouraged to contact the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Operations at (225) 922-0900 or visit the Louisiana Secretary of State Elections Operations website: http://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/BecomeACandidate/Pages/default.aspx.