Early voting for some key New Orleans races began last Saturday, Sept. 27. At polls across the city, residents lined up to cast their ballots for mayor, sheriff and New Orleans City Council ahead of the Oct. 11 municipal primary. 

Louisiana elections follow a majority vote system; all candidates compete in a nonpartisan primary. If no candidate wins 50% of the vote, then the two top candidates face off in a general election on Nov. 15. 

The mayoral race is drawing the most attention this election season. Mayor LaToya Cantrell is term-limited and recently made headlines for her request to go on a family vacation to Iceland after being indicted for misusing city funds during an affair with former New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffery Vappie.

The top contenders for mayor are City Council Vice President Helena Moreno, District E Councilmember Oliver Thomas and state Sen. Royce Duplessis. 

Moreno leads the race as a former news reporter turned politician who advocates for criminal justice reform, gender equality, climate action and fair drug policy. Moreno, Thomas and Duplessis are all members of the Democratic Party. 

Also on the ballot are races for city council, sheriff, assessor, clerk of criminal district court and an amendment to the parish’s home rule charter. 

Voters can cast their ballot at any one of the city’s four early voting locations, regardless of where they live, until Oct. 4. The polls are open every day except Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

College students are eligible to register to vote using their school address in Louisiana; however, they are not eligible to register online without a Louisiana driver’s license or special ID card. 

All voters must be registered 30 days before the election, if registering by mail or in person. To register by mail for future elections, students must fill out a printed voter registration application from the Louisiana state website and mail it to the Orleans Parish Registrar of Voters on Perdido Street. 

The early voting locations in New Orleans are City Hall, at 1300 Perdido St.; the Algiers Courthouse, at 225 Morgan St.; the Voting Machine Warehouse, at 8870 Chef Menteur Highway; and Lake Vista Community Center, at 6500 Spanish Fort Blvd.