Louisiana gives all candidates (at least for offices other than president) the option of qualifying by petition OR by paying a fee to the government.

I’m not sure about other offices, but I note that congressional candidates do not have to qualify in person but may instead have a representative submit their paperwork.

When there is only one candidate for an office in a (state or local) nonpartisan election, his name is not even put on the ballot.

See:
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=81262

The relevant statute for independent presidential candidates is RS 18:1254.

See:
http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=81263

The time for independent presidential candidates to qualify “shall begin on the first Tuesday in August and shall end at five o’clock p.m. on the first Tuesday in September.”

The deadline for recognized party presidential candidates is also the first Tuesday in September, but there are some additional complications. (See RS 18:1253 for the whole story.)

Please note that independent presidential candidates must list “[i]n not more than three words, the political principle that he represents.”

That “not more than three word” designation appears on the ballot. This is how unrecognized political parties are able to identify their presidential candidates on the Louisiana ballot. For example, the Boston Tea Party (which is not a recognized party in Louisiana) will likely qualify its presidential candidate using RS 18:1254 and will use “Boston Tea Party” as his three word political principle.

There’s a page on the Louisiana Sec. of State’s website entitled “Qualifying Independent Presidential Candidates,” but there’s nothing there yet. I assume they will be filling that in later with the procedure for getting independent presidential candidates on the ballot in Louisiana.

Here’s the link to that page:
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/693/Default.aspx