Louisiana voters are being reminded that all races and propositions scheduled for the May 16 election will continue as planned, with the exception of the U.S. House of Representatives races, which have been cancelled and moved to the state’s fall election cycle.
Secretary of State Nancy Landry said voters across the state will still have items on their ballots, including the U.S. Senate race and five proposed constitutional amendments.
Under legislation approved during the 2026 Regular Session, candidates seeking election to the U.S. House must now qualify during a new August qualifying period. The congressional races will appear on Louisiana’s Nov. 3, 2026, open primary ballot, with a runoff election scheduled for Dec. 12 if needed.
State officials said any votes cast in the cancelled U.S. House races during the May 16 or June 27 elections will not be counted. Some ballots may still display those races, but election officials are prohibited from releasing any results tied to them.
The legislation also establishes new qualifying dates for the fall election cycle. Candidates may qualify Aug. 5-7, 2026, through either qualifying fees or nominating petitions.
In addition, the Secretary of State’s Office will refund the state portion of qualifying fees previously paid by congressional candidates for the cancelled races. Any nominating petitions already submitted for those races have also been voided.
The new law lowers the required number of petition signatures for congressional candidates to 250 qualified Louisiana voters. Those petitions must be submitted by July 9, 2026.
Election officials encourage voters to visit GeauxVote.com or use the GeauxVote mobile app for updated election information, sample ballots and voter registration details.
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