House adopts conference committee report moving U.S. House races to an open primary this fall

The Louisiana House of Representatives adopted a conference committee report on Tuesday that rewrites parts of the state's election calendar for 2026, canceling this spring's closed-party primary for U.S. House races and replacing it with an open primary to be held Nov. 3 and a runoff on Dec. 12. The chamber voted 67-27 to approve the report.

Representative Ryan Beaulieu, who presented the conference committee report, told members it "confirms that the May 2027 elections for congress are canceled" as the measure moves the U.S. House races into an open-primary format in 2026 and returns those contests to a closed primary beginning Jan. 1, 2027. He said the report also requires the Secretary of State to return qualifying fees and cancels nominating petitions already filed for the closed primary.

Why it matters: The change affects voters, candidates and county clerks. Lawmakers said the shift was prompted by the court challenge that voided the maps used for the spring closed primary. Sponsors said reducing the petition-signature requirement (to 250 signatures) and pushing qualifying dates later is intended to give clerks and candidates time to work with remapped districts.

Members asked a string of procedural and legal questions during an extended floor exchange. Representative Green pressed the sponsor on whether the report had been reviewed in joint committee and asked whether allowing the Secretary of State to cancel ballots and void absentee returns raised oversight issues. Beaulieu responded that absentee ballots cast in the canceled closed primary would not count because there would be no corresponding closed-primary contest.

Several lawmakers also raised concerns about the speed of the change and potential constitutional or statutory questions, including the bill's omnibus nature and whether some provisions could be challenged as non-germane. The sponsor and other proponents said the report reflects prior discussions and emergency steps taken after a court ruling affecting district maps.

What the measure does: It (a) cancels the closed-party primary for U.S. House races scheduled for this spring, (b) establishes an open primary on Nov. 3 with a Dec. 12 runoff if needed, (c) directs state officials to return qualifying fees and cancel nominating petitions associated with the canceled contests, and (d) reduces the threshold for petition signatures to 250 for the fall qualifying period to address uncertainty about district lines.

Next steps: The report was adopted on the House floor and will be transmitted under the regular enactment process. Local election officials and the Secretary of State will implement the timing, fee returns and public notices required by the change.

Vote: Adopted, 67-27.