# When is the Louisiana runoff election?

*Louisiana calls its run-off a general election, and the deadline to register for it in person or by mail is Thursday, November 12, 2026.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Politics
- By: Politics Desk
- Published: 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/politics/when-is-the-louisiana-runoff-election/

Topics: [U.S. Congress](https://factsdesk.com/topic/us-congress/)

## Key facts

- Louisiana's runoff election, which the state calls the general election, is on Saturday, December 12, 2026, and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Source: [Louisiana Secretary of State](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates). Confirmed 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/when-is-the-louisiana-runoff-election/#louisiana-s-runoff-election-which-the-state-calls-the
- The deadline to register to vote in person, by mail or at an OMV office is November 12, 2026, and the online deadline through GeauxVote is November 21, 2026. Source: [Louisiana Secretary of State](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates). Confirmed 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/when-is-the-louisiana-runoff-election/#the-deadline-to-register-to-vote-in-person-by-mail-or-at-an
- Early voting runs from November 28 to December 5, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with no early voting on Sunday, November 29. Source: [Louisiana Secretary of State](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates). Confirmed 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/when-is-the-louisiana-runoff-election/#early-voting-runs-from-november-28-to-december-5-2026-from-8
- The deadline to request an absentee ballot is December 8, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., and a registrar of voters must receive the voted ballot by December 11 at 4:30 p.m. Source: [Louisiana Secretary of State](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates). Confirmed 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/when-is-the-louisiana-runoff-election/#the-deadline-to-request-an-absentee-ballot-is-december-8
- The state's 2026 calendar lists the December 12 election as an Open U.S. Representative General, Open General and Special Primary for the 14th State Senatorial District. Source: [Louisiana Secretary of State](https://sos.la.gov/media/p31j4zkc/elections-calendar-2026.pdf). Confirmed 2026-11-12T02:09:34-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/politics/when-is-the-louisiana-runoff-election/#the-state-s-2026-calendar-lists-the-december-12-election-as

Louisiana's runoff election is on Saturday, December 12, 2026, according to the [Louisiana Secretary of State's election dates page](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates). The state does not label it a runoff on its calendar. Louisiana calls the first round of an open election the primary and the run-off between the top two candidates the general election, as the Secretary of State's [types of elections page](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/types-of-elections) explains.

## Dates and deadlines for the December 12 election

Every date below is from the Secretary of State's [election dates page](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates), and the dates match the office's [2026 elections calendar](https://sos.la.gov/media/p31j4zkc/elections-calendar-2026.pdf).

| Step | Date | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Register in person, by mail or at an OMV office | November 12, 2026 | |
| Register online through GeauxVote | November 21, 2026 | |
| Early voting begins | November 28, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Early voting ends | December 5, 2026 | 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Request an absentee ballot | December 8, 2026 | By 4:30 p.m. |
| Registrar receives the voted absentee ballot | December 11, 2026 | By 4:30 p.m. |
| Election day | December 12, 2026 | 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |

There is no early voting on Sunday, November 29. The two absentee deadlines do not apply to military and overseas voters, who are listed as exceptions on the same page.

## What the state calls this election

The [2026 elections calendar](https://sos.la.gov/media/p31j4zkc/elections-calendar-2026.pdf), which is marked as revised in July 2026, lists the December 12 election as an "Open U.S. Representative General/Open General/Special Primary". The special primary is for the 14th State Senatorial District in East Baton Rouge Parish only.

The first round was scheduled for November 3, 2026, which the same calendar lists as a "U.S. Senate General/Open U.S. Representative Primary/Open Primary". On that calendar, December 12 is the general election for U.S. Representative and other open primary offices, while November 3 was already the general election for the U.S. Senate.

## How a Louisiana run-off works

In an open primary, any qualified elector may qualify as a candidate regardless of party, according to the Secretary of State's [types of elections page](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/types-of-elections). If no candidate wins a majority in the primary, the top two candidates go to a run-off, which the state calls a general election.

The U.S. House races followed that open system in 2026. The [calendar](https://sos.la.gov/media/p31j4zkc/elections-calendar-2026.pdf) notes that under Act 7 of the 2026 Regular Session, U.S. Representative is no longer treated as a closed party office for the November and December election cycle. For the wider picture in Washington, see [when the new Congress starts](/politics/when-does-the-new-congress-start/) and [which party controls Congress](/politics/which-party-controls-congress/).

The calendar also carries a notice that dates are subject to change by the Legislature.

## Sources

1. [Election Dates](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/election-dates), Louisiana Secretary of State, 2026-11-12 (primary source)
2. [2026 Elections calendar, revised 07/2026](https://sos.la.gov/media/p31j4zkc/elections-calendar-2026.pdf), Louisiana Secretary of State, 2026-07-27 (primary source)
3. [Types of Elections](https://www.sos.la.gov/elections-voting/types-of-elections), Louisiana Secretary of State, 2026-11-12 (primary source)