Jungle primary

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Louisiana's electoral system for local, state, and federal offices differs from the ones employed in the other 49 states. This system is sometimes referred to as a jungle primary or cajun primary, though Ballotpedia instead refers to the state's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system.

In this system, all candidates running for a local, state, or federal office appear on the same ballot in either October (in odd-numbered years) or November (in even-numbered years), regardless of their partisan affiliations. If a candidate wins a simple majority of all votes cast for the office (i.e., 50 percent, plus one vote), he or she wins the election outright. If no candidate meets that threshold, the top two finishers advance to a second election in December, regardless of their partisan affiliations. In that election, the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes wins.

This article outlines terms used to describe Louisiana's electoral system, our rationale for adopting our preferred term, and distinctions between Louisiana's electoral system and related systems.

Note: Ballotpedia refers to Louisiana's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system

Other terminology

Two phrases are used by the general public and state officials to describe this electoral system: jungle primary and majority-vote primary paired with plurality-vote general election.

Jungle primary

The general public commonly refers to this electoral system as a jungle primary. The application of this term to describe any electoral system presents two problems. First, the term has negative connotations. In this context, the adjectival use of jungle suggests disorderliness and chaos. Its use infers a negative judgment against the electoral system. Second, the term lacks descriptive force. It does little to explain the substance or function of the system it is used to describe.

Cajun primary

The general public commonly refers to this electoral system as a cajun primary. The application of this term to describe any electoral system presents two problems. First, the adjectival use of cajun references a specific ethnic group in Louisiana that descends from a mixture of cultures. Its use may suggest a negative judgment against the electoral system or simply confuse readers. Second, the term lacks descriptive force. It does little to explain the substance or function of the system it is used to describe.

Majority-vote primary paired with a plurality-vote general election

Louisiana's secretary of state describes the state's electoral system as a majority-vote primary paired with a plurality-vote general election:

• All statewide and local candidates in Louisiana are elected by majority vote, which is one more than 50% of the total votes cast for their office. In races where one candidate will be elected, the candidate who receives the majority of votes cast for that office in the primary wins the election. If no candidate receives a majority, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election.
• The candidate who receives the most votes cast for their office in the general election wins the election. In races where more than one candidate will be elected, the number of offices available are filled by the candidates receiving the highest total of votes. If a tie creates more candidates with the highest number of votes than offices to be filled, all candidates with the highest number of votes advance to another election to be held on the 3rd Saturday after the election results are announced.

This term is an improvement over jungle primary because it contains no negative connotations and more closely describes the substance and function of the system. Still, it lacks precision. A primary election is typically understood as an election used either to narrow the field of candidates for a given office or to determine the nominees for political parties in advance of a general election. Given this definition, a candidate cannot win an election outright in a primary. Candidates can only win an office in a general election.

Why we prefer the term Louisiana majority-vote system

In light of the shortcomings of the aforementioned existing terms, Ballotpedia has chosen to refer to Louisiana's electoral system as the Louisiana majority-vote system.

This term hews closely to the language used by Louisiana's secretary of state while avoiding the misleading primary and general descriptors. Instead, it encompasses both phases of the process without obscuring the possibility of winning the election in the first phase.

If a need for further precision arises, we use the following language:

• Louisiana majority-vote system, first round: This describes what has traditionally been referred to as the jungle primary.
• Louisiana majority-vote system, second round: This describes what has traditionally been referred to as the general, general runoff, or runoff election.

Differences from other types of primaries

The following types of primary elections are distinct from and should not be confused with jungle primaries:

• Top-two primary: In a top-two primary, all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of partisan affiliation or amount of support. In a top-two primary, it is possible for candidates affiliated with the same political party to face off in the general election. Top-two primaries were used in California, Nebraska, and Washington as of June 2023.
  • This differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system because candidates in a top-two primary can not win the election outright, as is the case in Louisiana.
• Top-four primary: A top-four primary is a variation of a top-two primary. All candidates appear on the same ballot. The top four vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of partisan affiliation or amount of support. In a top-four primary, it is possible for candidates affiliated with the same political party to face off in the general election. Top-four primaries were used in Alaska as of June 2023.
  • As with top-two primaries, this differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system because candidates in a top-four primary can not win the election outright, as is the case in Louisiana.
• Blanket primary: In a blanket primary, voters choose one candidate per office regardless of the candidate's partisan affiliation. The top vote-getters from each party participating in the primary advance to the general election. No states used blanket primaries as of June 2023.
  • This differs from Louisiana's majority-vote system because candidates in a blanket primary can not win the election outright, as is the case in Louisiana. Also, in Louisiana, two candidates affiliated with the same political party might advance to the general election, which is not possible in a blanket primary.

See also

• Majority voting system
• Electoral systems in Louisiana
• Primary elections in Louisiana
• Primary election
• Primary election types by state
• State primary election types
• Open primary
• Closed primary
• Semi-closed primary
• Top-two primary
• Top-four primary
• Blanket primary

Footnotes

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