Every Louisiana candidate gets on the ballot the same way: by filing a notice of candidacy during the qualifying period, "accompanied either by a nominating petition or by the qualifying fee and any additional fee imposed" (R.S. 18:461(A)(1)). For parish offices and the Legislature, the nominating petition is an alternative to the fee. A candidate who files a petition pays no qualifying fee or additional fee. Louisiana does not allow write-in candidates, so qualifying is the only route onto the ballot.
For the October 9, 2027 primary, qualifying runs from Tuesday, August 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 5, 2027, and parish and legislative candidates qualify with the clerk of court in the parish where they are registered to vote. If you choose the petition, signers may sign from Monday, April 5, 2027, and the petition must reach the registrar of voters by Tuesday, July 6, 2027. Citations are to the Louisiana Revised Statutes (R.S.). Confirm your exact fee, signature number and deadlines with your clerk of court.
For the rest of the campaign, see our guide to running for local office in Louisiana.
The notice of candidacy
The notice of candidacy, the Secretary of State's qualifying form, states your name, the office you seek, your domicile address, telephone number (marked on the form as a public record), email address, and the parish, ward and precinct where you are registered to vote (R.S. 18:463(A)(1)(a)).
- Party designation. You list the name of your party if you are registered with a recognized party, "other" if you are registered with a party that is not recognized, or "no party." You cannot change or add a party designation after you qualify.
- Ballot name. You may use your given, first and middle name, initials, a nickname, or a combination, and you must include your surname. A nickname goes in quotation marks just before your surname. You may not use a title, a deceptive name, or an occupational or professional description or abbreviation (R.S. 18:463(A)(1)(b)).
- Certifications. You certify, among other things, that you have read the notice, that you meet the qualifications of the office, that you are not barred by a felony conviction, and that you filed your federal and state income tax returns for each of the previous five tax years, filed for an extension, or were not required to file (R.S. 18:463(A)(2)). Read every certification before you sign, and check with the Louisiana Board of Ethics for any other filings that apply to your campaign.
- Notary or witnesses. The certificate must be executed before a notary public or witnessed by two persons (R.S. 18:463(A)(2)(b)).
- Proof of identity. Bring a valid Louisiana driver's license or Louisiana identification card (R.S. 18:461(A)(1)).
How to file. You may file in person, by certified mail or commercial carrier, or through an agent with a signed affidavit (R.S. 18:461(A)(2); 18:463(A)(1)(c)). Whatever the method, the notice is timely only if the clerk of court receives it during the qualifying period (R.S. 18:466). During qualifying you may correct your notice by filing a new one and paying the qualifying fee again. After qualifying closes, no changes are allowed except to fix an error by the qualifying official (R.S. 18:463(E)).
Route 1: the qualifying fee
The fee is set by office in R.S. 18:464(B), plus a $25 fee for the state's Campaign Sign Recycling Fund. Here are the common 2027 offices, with the petition requirement from R.S. 18:465(C), as shown on the Secretary of State's fee chart revised in June 2026:
| Office | Qualifying fee, plus $25 | Or petition signatures |
|---|---|---|
| Sheriff, clerk of court, assessor, coroner, parish president | $225 | 400 |
| Police juror or parish council member (district seat) | $115 | 100 |
| State representative | $225 | 400 from the district |
| State senator | $300 | 500 from the district |
Party committee fees. A party's state central committee and parish executive committee may each add a fee, up to half the qualifying fee, for candidates affiliated with that party (R.S. 18:464(C) and (D)). The Secretary of State's chart lists these additional fees for Democratic and Republican candidates, for example $112.50 each for sheriff, with the parish executive committee fee collected only where that committee has assessed one. Ask your clerk of court for your exact total.
How to pay. In cash, by certified or cashier's check on a state or national bank or credit union, by United States postal money order, or by a money order issued by a state or national bank or credit union (R.S. 18:464(A)). A candidate serving in the armed forces and stationed or deployed outside the United States pays no qualifying fee or additional fee (R.S. 18:461(A)(1)).
Route 2: the nominating petition
Who may sign. Only voters "registered to vote on the office" you seek (R.S. 18:465(B)). For a district seat, that means voters registered in the district. Once a voter signs, the voter may not withdraw the nomination.
When they may sign. No more than 120 days before qualifying opens (R.S. 18:465(B)). For the August 3, 2027 opening, that is Monday, April 5, 2027, the first day to obtain signatures on the Secretary of State's calendar.
The form. The Secretary of State's form NP-44-OES is the standard petition for every office except presidential elections, though state law does not require you to use it. Its cover page names the primary election date, the qualifying period, the office, your name, your domicile address and your party. Each signature page has 15 lines. On each line the voter gives:
- a handwritten signature;
- first and last name, typed or legibly written;
- year of birth;
- the date of signing;
- the address at which the voter is registered to vote; and
- the name of the person who witnessed the signature and the date it was witnessed.
State law also asks each signer for the ward and precinct where they are registered (R.S. 18:465(B)). Each signature must be "dated and witnessed by the candidate or the person who obtained the signature on his behalf" (R.S. 18:465(D)), and the form notes that a witness must be at least 18. You may photocopy blank signature pages to add more lines. If your district crosses parish lines, keep each parish's signers on separate pages, because each registrar can certify only voters registered in that parish.
Certifications. You, and every person who collected signatures for you, sign a certification that, to the best of your knowledge, information and belief, all of the signatures are genuine and all of the statements are true and correct (R.S. 18:465(D)).
Submitting it. Take the petition to the registrar of voters in each parish where your signers live, no less than 30 days before qualifying ends (R.S. 18:465(E)): by Tuesday, July 6, 2027, the date on the Secretary of State's calendar. The registrar records the date and time received and certifies, in the order petitions arrive, which signers are registered to vote on the office and signed on time. The registrar may stop once the certified signatures reach 115 percent of the number required, and its certification is conclusive on the count. The registrar returns the original pages to you.
Filing it. During qualifying, file the original certified petition with your notice of candidacy. The form states that "copies cannot be accepted."
How to choose between the fee and the petition
Both routes put you on the same ballot. The fee is quick, though it is a cost, and party committee fees may apply on top of it. The petition costs nothing to file, but it takes time: you must gather the signatures between April 5 and July 6, leave the registrar time to certify them, and collect more than the minimum in case some are not certified.
A signature drive also gives you a reason to knock on doors months before qualifying. If you choose it, start early in the window and keep the pages organized by parish and precinct.
One exception. For a "party primary office" (R.S. 18:2(9)), the petition is not optional for everyone. In 2027 that affects candidates for the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). The Secretary of State states that a BESE candidate not affiliated with the Democratic or Republican party "must qualify via nominating petition," at the same time as the party primary candidates qualify in January. The parish offices and legislative seats in this guide are not party primary offices.
A petition signature is not permission to text
A voter who signs your nominating petition has agreed to nominate you. The form says nothing about text messages, so do not text everyone who signed. Carry a separate sign-up sheet while you circulate, and ask each signer whether they would also like campaign updates by text. Our post on texting the people who signed your petition explains why the two lists stay separate.
Once people have agreed in writing, CampaignCNX+ helps you keep in touch with them through the rest of the campaign.
- Record consent as you collect it. Use a sign-up sheet that plainly says the person agrees to receive campaign texts, with a line for the date. In CampaignCNX+, record the consent date and source in a custom field and tag the parish or precinct.
- Set up Campaign Verify and your number. Campaign Verify confirms to the carriers (the mobile phone companies) that you are a real campaign. It needs a 527 committee (the federal tax status of a political committee) with an EIN (its federal tax ID number) and a filing with an election authority that is published online. Check that your filing can be viewed online before you request it, and ask Campaign Verify Support if it cannot. A $95 request made on or after Sunday, November 15, 2026 lasts until January 31, 2029. CampaignCNX+ files your 10DLC (standard local-style number) or toll-free registration and your Campaign Verify token.
- Send a welcome text. Texts send only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient's time zone, and STOP replies are handled automatically.
Thanks for signing up at the door. This is [Name], candidate for [Office]. I'll text a few updates before Oct 9. Reply STOP to opt out.
100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month. Our Louisiana 2027 election calendar lists the dates worth a reminder, and our page on political texting covers the rules for any campaign.
Decide by spring
If you plan to use a petition, decide before April 5 so you have the full window. If you plan to pay, confirm your total with your clerk of court before August. When you are ready to reach supporters by text, start a CampaignCNX+ trial.
