Accessible Voting in Louisiana
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in Louisiana
- You must be registered to vote.
- You must have a specific reason (including disability) to vote by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
- Check to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Programs for Voters with Disabilities, Senior Citizens and Nursing Home Residents page or call (225) 922-2880 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Louisiana for voters with disabilities
- Sign up to automatically receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- Check with your local election office to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
October 25 through November 1, early voting is available at your registrar's office between 8:30 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Saturday.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
- Voters without ID can sign an affidavit.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling places are open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
- Voters without ID can sign an affidavit.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Louisiana are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
Dominion ImageCast X (DRE)
A voting system where votes are recorded electronically.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
May include a paper audit trail (VVPAT), printed and viewed behind glass.
Learn more about using Dominion ICX These videos cover the use of this system as a ballot marking device
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 2:32)
- Short video tutorial from Sacramento (YouTube 3:40)
- Longer instructional video from Michigan (YouTube 15:16)
Sequoia AVC Edge
An electronic voting system.
It has a touchscreen and tactile controls.
Some systems have a paper record for review casting the ballot.
Learn more about using the AVC Edge without a paper record
- A voter demo video from York, PA (YouTube 5:39)
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by the day before Election Day, November 7 for mailed ballots.
Delivered by the day before Election Day, November 7 for hand-delivered ballots.
How to get your ballot
- Voters must have an excuse to vote by mail.
- Voters with disabilities can sign up to receive a ballot for all future elections.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- Return the request form by email or fax.
- Check the identification requirements on the request form carefully.
- If you request a ballot online, you may need to provide the number from a state-issued photo ID or your Social Security Number.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At a voting location on Election Day
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
Put enough postage on the envelope.
If you drop off your ballot, you must do so by the day before Election Day.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
Have a witness sign the form on the envelope.
- Ask your local elections office who can return your ballot for you.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Louisiana called Electronic Absentee Ballot
- You can use accessible vote by mail if you are a voter with a disability.
Voters with disabilities may be eligible to receive their absentee ballot electronically as a PDF file.
- You can apply online at the [Louisiana Voter Portal] (https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/) if you have a state driver’s license or ID.
- You can also download a paper application (PDF may not be accessible)
If you need assistance in voting or additional information, contact your registrar of voters.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Received by the day before Election Day, November 7 for mailed ballots.
Delivered by the day before Election Day, November 7 for hand-delivered ballots.
Returning a printed ballot
You can return your ballot:
- By mail
The systems in use in Louisiana for accessible voting by mail are:
Ask your local election office about the accessible vote by mail system you will use.
Learn more about accessible voting options in Louisiana