Time is running out to register to vote in Louisiana's primaries

The big picture: Only registered members of the state's Republican and Democratic parties can vote in their affiliated primaries.

• April 15 is the deadline to register to vote in person or by mail, according to the secretary of state's office.
• The online registration deadline is April 25.

How it works: Each party could hold a primary and a runoff before its candidate advances to the general election in November.

• The closed primaries are only in effect for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Between the lines: The state's Independent Party dissolved last year, moving about 150,000 voters into a larger "unaffiliated" category.

• Unaffiliated voters can choose either the Republican or Democratic primary, but they must stick with that choice for any runoff unless they formally change party registration.
• Voters who are registered with third parties, such as the Green Party, can only vote in the general election.

Go deeper: How Louisiana's closed party primaries will work