2026 Louisiana Amendment 5
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May 16, 2026
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Increase Judicial Retirement Age to 75 Years Amendment | |||||||||||||||||||
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No 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%
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| Elections in Louisiana |
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 Government |
Louisiana Amendment 5, also known as the Increase Judicial Retirement Age to 75 Years Amendment, was a legislatively referred constitutional amendment that appeared on the ballot in the U.S. state of Louisiana on May 16, 2026. The amendment failed.
Ballot language
The ballot question read: "Do you support an amendment to change the mandatory retirement age for judges from seventy to seventy-five, provided that a judge may continue to serve to complete a term of office? (Amends Article V, Section 23(B))"[1]
Background and impact
In Louisiana, the mandatory retirement age for judges is 70 years old, after which a judge must step down from the bench. An amendment was introduced in the Louisiana State Legislature to raise that age to 75 by Kyle Green.[2] It passed the House of Representatives 95–1 and the State Senate 31–3, surpassing the two-thirds requirement to place an amendment on the ballot.[3]
Provisions
Amendment 5 proposed amending Article V, Section 23(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana to increase the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. Under the proposal, a judge could not remain in office beyond the judge's 75th birthday, except that a judge who reached 75 while serving a term would be allowed to complete that term.[4]
Endorsements
- State legislators
- Kyle Green, minority leader and state representative from the 83rd district (2020–present) (Democratic)[5]
- Jason Hughes, New Orleans City Councilmember (2026–present) and former state representative from the 100th district (2020–2025) (Democratic)[5]
- Gregory A. Miller, state senator from the 19th district (2024–present) (Republican)[6]
- Newspapers
- State legislators
- Alan Seabaugh, state senator from the 31st district (2024–present) (Republican)[6]
Results
Amendment 5 was rejected, with 76.61% voting against the measure and 23.39% voting in favor.
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| For | 188,782 | 23.39 | |
| Against | 618,183 | 76.61 | |
| Total | 806,965 | 100.00 | |
| Source: Secretary of State of Louisiana | |||
References
- ↑ "2026 Proposed Constitutional Amendments: May 16, 2026 Election" (PDF). Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
- ↑ Lowe, Dillon (April 16, 2026). "How long is too long? Judicial retirement age heads to the ballot". Business Report. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ Fisher, Nicole (June 13, 2025). "Louisiana voters to decide on raising judicial retirement age from 70 to 75 in April 2026". Ballotpedia News. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Act No. 219, House Bill No. 63, 2025 Regular Session". Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
- 1 2 "Louisiana Amendment 5, Increase Judicial Retirement Age to 75 Years Amendment (May 2026)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- 1 2 Kieschnick, Kace (June 9, 2025). "Voters could decide whether to raise the mandatory retirement age for Louisiana Judges". Louisiana Radio Network. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Editorial: Our recommendations for Constitutional Amendments 3-5". NOLA.com. April 30, 2026. Retrieved May 15, 2026.