The deadline is April 15 to update your voter registration for the hotly contested U.S. Senate race. Only registered members of the state's Republican and Democratic parties can participate in these affiliated primaries. The closed primaries are in effect for several political parties, including the U.N. and the U.,S. House of Representatives, the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Public Service Commission and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The state's Independent Party dissolved last year, resulting in a significant decrease in voter participation.