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Primaries in Louisiana, 2020

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Top-two Party primaries, 2020
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Primary Date
November 3, 2020
Primary Runoff Date
N/A
Federal elections
Top-two primary for U.S. Senate
Top-two primaries for U.S. House
State party
State political party revenue

This page focuses on the top-two primaries that took place in Louisiana on November 3, 2020.

Louisiana does not conduct typical primary elections. Instead, all candidates running for a local, state, or federal office 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 advance to a second election in either November (in odd-numbered years) or December (in even-numbered years), regardless of their partisan affiliations. In that election, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes wins. Ballotpedia refers to Louisiana's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system. It is also commonly referred to as a jungle primary. Because it is possible for a candidate to win election in the first round of voting, Louisiana's nominating contest is not a traditional primary.

Note: Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed HB17 into law by on Jan. 22, 2024, creating closed partisan primaries and primary runoffs for Congress, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Louisiana Public Service Commission and Louisiana Supreme Court beginning in 2026.


Note that the dates and terms of participation for presidential preference primaries and caucuses sometimes differ from those that apply to primaries for state-level and other federal offices, which are the subject of this article. For more information on this state's presidential nomination process, click here.

Federal elections

U.S. Senate

See also: United States Senate election in Louisiana, 2020 (November 3 primary)

The 2020 U.S. Senate elections in Louisiana took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected one candidate to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in Louisiana, 2020 (November 3 primaries)

The 2020 U.S. House of Representatives elections in Louisiana took place on November 3, 2020. Voters elected six candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's six congressional districts.

District 1

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 2

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 3

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 4

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 5

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 6

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

State elections

State executive offices

See also: Louisiana state executive official elections, 2020

Two state executive offices are up for election in Louisiana in 2020: public service commission (2 seats).

Public Service Commissioner

See also: Louisiana Public Service Commission election, 2020
District 1

Primary candidates

Candidate Connection = candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

District 5

Primary candidates


Did not make the ballot:

State supreme court

See also: Louisiana Supreme Court elections, 2020

The term of one Louisiana Supreme Court justice expired on December 31, 2020. The one seat was up for partisan election on December 5, 2020. A primary was scheduled for November 3, 2020.[1]

Candidates and election results

District 4: Clark vacancy


Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

Nonpartisan primary election

Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District

Jay B. McCallum won election outright against Shannon J. Gremillion in the special primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 4th District on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Jay B. McCallum
Jay B. McCallum (R)
 
56.7
 
122,458
Image of Shannon J. Gremillion
Shannon J. Gremillion (R)
 
43.3
 
93,569

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 216,027
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

District 7: Johnson vacancy


Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.

General election

The general election was canceled. Piper Griffin won election in the general election for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District

Piper Griffin and Terri Love defeated Sandra Cabrina Jenkins in the primary for Louisiana Supreme Court 7th District on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Piper Griffin
Piper Griffin (D) Candidate Connection
 
43.9
 
78,603
✔
Image of Terri Love
Terri Love (D)
 
31.5
 
56,387
Image of Sandra Cabrina Jenkins
Sandra Cabrina Jenkins (D)
 
24.6
 
43,949

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 178,939
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Justices not on the ballot


Intermediate appellate courts

See also: Louisiana intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

The terms of 12 Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal justices expired on December 31, 2020. The 12 seats were up for partisan election on December 5, 2020. A primary was scheduled for November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is 10 years.

This is a list of the justices who had to stand for partisan election in 2020 in order to remain on the bench. Justices could choose not to stand for election.

First Circuit Court of Appeal

■ John Guidry
■ Toni M. Higginbotham

Second Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Jeff Thompson
■ Jeanette Garrett

Third Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Phyllis M. Keaty
■ Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Dale Atkins
■ Roland Belsome
■ Joy Cossich Lobrano
■ Daniel L. Dysart
■ Rose Ledet

Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal

■ Jude Gravois
■ Fredericka Homberg Wicker


Context of the 2020 elections

Louisiana Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas  •  Seven years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

State party overview

Democratic Party of Louisiana

See also: Democratic Party of Louisiana

Republican Party of Louisiana

See also: Republican Party of Louisiana

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Republican state party affiliates.


Voter information

How the primary works

Louisiana does not conduct typical primary elections. Instead, all candidates running for a local, state, or federal office 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 advance to a second election in either November (in odd-numbered years) or December (in even-numbered years), regardless of their partisan affiliations. In that election, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes wins. Ballotpedia refers to Louisiana's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system. It is also commonly referred to as a jungle primary. Because it is possible for a candidate to win election in the first round of voting, Louisiana's nominating contest is not a traditional primary.

Note: Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed HB17 into law by on Jan. 22, 2024, creating closed partisan primaries and primary runoffs for Congress, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Louisiana Public Service Commission and Louisiana Supreme Court beginning in 2026.


Poll times

In Louisiana, polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Central time for Tuesday elections. For Saturday elections, polls open at 7:00 a.m. If the polls close while a voter is in line, he or she will still be permitted to vote.[3][4]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Louisiana, one must provide documentary proof of United States citizenship and be a resident of the state and parish in which they register. A voter must be at least 18 years old by Election Day.[5]

Registration completed via mail or in person must occur at least 30 days before Election Day. Registration completed online must occur at least 20 days before Election Day. Registrants must present a valid form of identification to register. Pre-registration is available beginning at age 16.[5]

Voters may register in person at any Registrar of Voters office or any of the following places:[5]

  • Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles
  • Louisiana Department of Social Services
  • WIC offices
  • Food stamp offices
  • Medicaid offices
  • Offices and agencies serving people with disabilities
  • Military recruitment offices

Automatic registration

Louisiana does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Louisiana has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Louisiana does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

Louisiana law requires 20 days of residency in the state before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Louisiana state law requires a voter registration applicant to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. As of June 2025, the state had not implemented the requirement.[6][7]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[8] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The site Geaux Vote, run by the Louisiana Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.


Voter ID requirements

Louisiana requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[9]

Voters can present the following forms of identification. This list was current as of August 14, 2024. Click here to ensure you have the most current information.

  • Louisiana driver's license
  • Louisiana special identification card
  • LA Wallet digital driver's license
  • Military ID or other generally recognized picture identification card that contains the name and signature of the voter

Voters who do not have accepted ID may vote by completing a voter identification affidavit. By law, voters who sign an affidavit may be challenged.[10]

Registered voters can bring their voter information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles to receive a free Louisiana special identification card.[9]

Early voting

Louisiana permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

The following individuals are eligible to vote absentee in Louisiana:[11]

  1. Senior citizens, 65 years of age or older
  2. Voters who expect to be temporarily absent from the state or their parish during the early voting period and on election day
  3. Offshore workers
  4. Residents of nursing homes, veterans' homes, or hospitals
  5. Students, instructors, or professors (as well as their spouses and dependents) who are living outside of their parish
  6. Ministers, priests, rabbis, or other members of the clergy who are assigned outside of their parish
  7. Voters who moved more than 100 miles from the seat of their former parish within 30 days of an election
  8. Voters who are involuntarily confined to a mental institution and have not been judicially declared incompetent
  9. Voters who expect to be hospitalized on Election Day
  10. Incarcerated voters who have not been convicted of a felony
  11. Participants in the secretary of state's Address Confidentiality Program
  12. Sequestered jurors


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Louisiana. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.


See also

2020 Elections

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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Louisiana Supreme Court, "2020 Elections," accessed July 26, 2019
  2. ↑ Note: Clark retired on June 30, 2020. His seat was up for special election.
  3. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "FAQ: Voting on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  4. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Register to Vote," accessed August 15, 2024
  6. ↑ WWNO, "Louisiana now requires proof of citizenship to vote, but hasn’t issued any guidance," January 15, 2025
  7. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana Voter Registration Application," accessed June 30, 2025
  8. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote on Election Day," accessed August 15, 2024
  10. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Louisiana voters' bill of rights and voting information," accessed August 15, 2024
  11. ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Vote Absentee," accessed April 11, 2023
v • e
Party primaries by state, 2020
Republican primaries, 2020
Democratic primaries, 2020
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