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Clerk of Court briefs parish on May 16 closed-party primary, urges voters to check registrations
Summary
Clerk of Court Annette Fontana told the council and members of the public that Louisiana's new closed-party primary takes effect May 16 and that in-person voter-registration changes must be completed by April 15 (online by April 25); she urged no-party voters to bring patience because they must complete a declaration ballot-choice form at the polls.
Annette Fontana, Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court, told the council and residents at the March 10 meeting that Louisiana's new closed-party primary will be used on May 16, 2026, and urged voters to check and, if needed, update their registration ahead of the deadlines.
"The deadline to change your voter registration to register to vote is going to be April 15th" in person, Fontana said, adding that online changes must be made by April 25. She explained that under the closed-party primary system, registered Republicans receive a Republican ballot, registered Democrats a Democratic ballot and voters registered with no party must fill out a declaration ballot-choice form to select which party primary to participate in on election day.
Fontana provided current local registration tallies spoken at the meeting: 25,970 registered Republicans, 16,224 no-party registrants and 15,102 registered Democrats; other parties (Green, Libertarian, etc.) total fewer than 500. "All no party voters are going to be required to fill out this form," she said, and warned that the step will make voting take slightly longer, so she asked voters to be patient both during early voting and on election day.
Fontana said her office has distributed materials and that residents can check registration and party designation at the parish clerk's website (lafourcheclerk.com) or the Secretary of State's GoVote website. She said the clerk's office will remain available to answer questions and that court operations continued after a minor electrical incident earlier that day at the Ford Block Building where the clerk's office is temporarily located.
Why it matters: The closed-party primary changes how many no-party voters will participate and could affect turnout and ballot lines on May 16. Fontana's presentation included concrete deadlines and local registration counts residents can use to confirm their status well before polling places open.
What happens next: Fontana said the clerk's office is monitoring registrations and will continue outreach; she recommended residents check their registration now and arrive prepared to complete the declaration form if they are registered as no party.
