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Louisiana's electoral system for certain state and local offices differs from those employed in the other 49 states. This system is sometimes referred to as a cajun primary or jungle primary, though Ballotpedia instead refers to the state's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system.

In Louisiana, candidates running for some offices appear on the same ballot in either October (in odd-numbered years) or November (in even-numbered years), regardless of their partisan affiliations. If a candidate wins a simple majority of all votes cast for the office (i.e., 50 percent, plus one vote), he or she wins the election outright. If no candidate meets that threshold, the top two finishers, regardless of their partisan affiliations, advance to a second election in November (in odd years) or December (in even years). In that election, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes wins. The timing of local elections depends on the size of the municipality.

Ballotpedia refers to Louisiana's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system. This article outlines terms used to describe Louisiana's electoral system, our rationale for adopting our preferred term, and distinctions between Louisiana's electoral system and related systems.

The Louisiana majority-vote system is used for races for statewide executive offices, such as governor or attorney general, the state legislature, the Louisiana Court of Appeals, and local offices.

Starting in 2026, Louisiana began using semi-closed partisan primaries and primary runoffs for Congress, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Louisiana Public Service Commission, and the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Other terminology

Three phrases are used by the general public and state officials to describe this electoral system: cajun primary, jungle primary, and majority-vote primary paired with plurality-vote general election.

Cajun primary

The general public commonly refers to this electoral system as a cajun primary. The application of this term to describe any electoral system presents two problems. First, the adjectival use of cajun references a specific ethnic group in Louisiana that descends from a mixture of cultures. Its use may suggest a negative judgment against the electoral system or simply confuse readers. Second, the term lacks descriptive force. It does little to explain the substance or function of the system it is used to describe.

Jungle primary

The general public commonly refers to this electoral system as a jungle primary. The application of this term to describe any electoral system presents two problems. First, the term has negative connotations. In this context, the adjectival use of jungle suggests disorderliness and chaos. Its infers a negative judgment against the electoral system. Second, the term lacks descriptive force. It does little to explain the substance or function of the system it is used to describe.

Majority-vote primary paired with a plurality-vote general election

Louisiana's secretary of state describes the state's electoral system as a majority vote in an open primary:

“

A majority vote is one more than 50% of the total votes cast for that office. When one candidate is to be elected, a candidate who receives a majority of the votes cast for an office in a primary election is elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the top two candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. ... If the number of candidates receiving the highest tie vote exceeds the number of persons to be elected, they all advance to the general election.

”

This term is an improvement over jungle primary. It contains no negative connotations, and it more closely describes the substance and function of the system. Still, this term lacks precision. A primary election is most precisely construed as an election used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. Given this definition, a candidate cannot win election to an office outright in a primary. A candidate can only win an office in a general election.

Rationale for Louisiana majority-vote system as preferred term

In light of the shortcomings of the aforementioned existing terms, we refer to Louisiana's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system.

This term hews closely to the terms presently used by the Louisiana secretary of state. However, it does not incorporate the misleading primary and general descriptors. Instead, it encompasses both phases of the process without obscuring the possibility of election in the first phase.

If circumstances arise requiring further precision, the following expansions can be applied:

• Louisiana majority-vote system, first round: This describes what has traditionally been referred to as the jungle primary.
• Louisiana majority-vote system, second round: This describes what has traditionally been referred to as the general, general runoff, or runoff election.

Related terms and concepts

Additional terms, listed below, have sometimes been used synonymously with jungle primary. These are inappropriate applications in light of the aforementioned description of Louisiana's electoral process. These terms are presented below with their precise definitions and examples of real-world applications.

• Blanket primary: In a blanket primary, voters choose one candidate per office regardless of the candidate's partisan affiliation. The top vote-getters from each party participating in the primary then advance to the general election.
  • How this differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system: A candidate in a blanket primary cannot win election outright, as is the case in Louisiana. Also, in Louisiana, two candidates affiliated with the same political party might advance to round two. This cannot be the case in a blanket primary.
  • Current application: No state conducts blanket primaries for state-level and congressional elections.
• Top-two primary: In a top-two primary, all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of partisan affiliations and the amount of support received by either, advance to the general election. In a top-two primary, it is possible for two candidates affiliated with the same party to face off in the general election.
  • How this differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system: A candidate in a top-two primary cannot win election outright, as is the case in Louisiana. The two are similar only in that it is possible for two candidates affiliated with the same party to advance to succeeding phases of the election process.
  • Current application: Top-two primaries were used in California, Nebraska, and Washington as of March 2026.
• Top-four primary: A top-four primary is a variation of a top-two primary. All candidates appear on the same ballot. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of partisan affiliation or amount of support. In a top-four primary, it is possible for candidates affiliated with the same political party to face off in the general election.
  • How this differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system: As with top-two primaries, this differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system because candidates in a top-four primary can not win the election outright, as is the case in Louisiana.
  • Curent application: Top-four primaries were used in Alaska as of March 2026.

See also

• Majority voting system
• Electoral systems in Louisiana
• Primary elections in Louisiana
• Primary election
• Primary election types by state
• State primary election types
• Open primary
• Closed primary
• Semi-closed primary
• Top-two primary
• Top-four primary
• Blanket primary

Footnotes

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