Poll: Louisiana Voters Strongly Back Open Primaries, Oppose New Closed System

Major awareness gap raises concerns of voter confusion in May primary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, March 31, 2026

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ross Sherman, Unite America Press Director, 207-749-2660, ross@uniteamerica.org 

A new statewide poll of Louisiana voters finds overwhelming support for the state’s open, all-candidate primary system — which has been in place since the 1970s — and strong opposition to the legislature’s move last year to implement closed primaries for some elections.

Key findings from the poll, conducted by Ragnar Research on behalf of Unite America, include: 

• 80% support the state’s all-candidate primary system, while just 17% oppose it.
• 53% of voters oppose the new closed primary system, while 35% support it.
• 62% of voters are unaware of the change to closed primaries for some races.

“Louisiana voters are sending a clear message: they strongly prefer open primaries and reject this expensive and confusing system,” said Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America. “The law is unpopular, poorly understood, and costly. And as voters experience it, opposition will only grow.”

More than 50 years ago, Louisiana abolished party primaries and moved to what is effectively an open, all-candidate primary system. All candidates, regardless of party, run on the same ballot in the general election. If nobody wins a majority, the top two candidates advance to a runoff.

According to the Unite America Institute, under that system, Louisiana has seen more meaningful participation, less polarization, and better governance. But in early 2024, the Louisiana Legislature passed a bill establishing party primaries for federal offices, the state supreme court, the state school board, and the Public Service Commission.

The poll finds that when respondents are given specifics about implementation and cost, opposition to the change intensifies:

• 54% oppose a dual system which applies different rules to state and federal races, while 30% support it.
• 78% oppose spending $100 million to implement the new election system.

The poll also reveals a major awareness gap ahead of Louisiana’s May primary elections, raising concerns about widespread voter confusion. 

• Nearly two-thirds of voters (62%) are unaware the change to closed primaries has even occurred
• Only 15% say they understand the new system very well

These poll results are consistent with a broader trend: voters across multiple states — and nationally — strongly prefer open primary systems and oppose efforts to close them. 

• 71% of voters nationally support requiring states to hold open primaries (RealClear Opinion Research, January 2026)
• Nearly 70% of Louisiana voters support the state’s open primary system (JMC Analytics, October 2025)
• 77% of Indiana voters oppose closed primaries (3D Strategic Research)

“Louisiana’s May primary is a warning sign for other states considering closing primaries. If history is any guide, closed primaries will confuse voters, shut people out, and move elections further away from the public they’re meant to serve,” said Troiano.

Methodology

Ragnar Research conducted a survey of 600 likely voters across Louisiana. Interviews were conducted March 22-24, 2026 by live telephone operators, including landlines (9%) and cell phones (91%). Quotas by age, gender, ethnicity, education, and region were used to ensure a representative distribution. The study’s margin of error is ± 4%. 

Memo from the pollster is available here; crosstabs here.

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Unite America is a philanthropic venture fund that invests in nonpartisan election reform to foster a more representative and functional government.

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