Election Day 2026
Election Day 2026 is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (in 22 days). It is a midterm election, held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Election Day is not a federal holiday.
- Date
- Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Countdown
- In 22 days
- Federal holiday
- No
- Date rule
- Tuesday after the first Monday in November
- Possible dates
- November 2 to November 8
- Next occurrence
- Tuesday, November 7, 2028
Election Day dates by year
| Year | Date | Weekday | Election | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | November 5, 2024 | Tuesday | Presidential | 23 months ago |
| 2026 | November 3, 2026 | Tuesday | Midterm | in 22 days |
| 2028 | November 7, 2028 | Tuesday | Presidential | in 2 years |
| 2030 | November 5, 2030 | Tuesday | Midterm | in 4 years |
| 2032 | November 2, 2032 | Tuesday | Presidential | in 6 years |
| 2034 | November 7, 2034 | Tuesday | Midterm | in 8 years |
| 2036 | November 4, 2036 | Tuesday | Presidential | in 10 years |
| 2038 | November 2, 2038 | Tuesday | Midterm | in 12 years |
| 2040 | November 6, 2040 | Tuesday | Presidential | in 14 years |
| 2042 | November 4, 2042 | Tuesday | Midterm | in 16 years |
Dates are calculated from the rule shown above, not copied from a list, so they stay correct for any year. See everything else happening that month in the calendar for November 2026.
How the date of Election Day is set
Election Day for federal offices is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in every even-numbered year. Congress first set that rule for presidential elections in an 1845 law, and it is in federal law today for presidential electors (3 U.S.C. § 1) and for the House of Representatives (2 U.S.C. § 7).
The first Monday of November is between the 1st and the 7th, so Election Day always falls between November 2 and November 8 and can never be November 1.
What is decided on Election Day 2026
Voters elect all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate. Many states also elect governors and other state and local officials, and vote on ballot measures. With no presidential race on the ballot, these are called midterm elections.
The next presidential Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2028.
Why a Tuesday in November
The usual explanation goes back to the farming society of the 1840s. November came after the harvest and before the worst winter weather. Tuesday let people travel to the county seat without leaving on Sunday, the day of rest, and Wednesday was market day in many places.
After Election Day
Election night results are unofficial. Each state counts all valid ballots, including mail ballots and provisional ballots, and then certifies its results under its own deadlines. After a presidential election the electors meet in their states on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their votes, and Congress counts the electoral votes in a joint session on January 6. Newly elected members of Congress take office on January 3, and a new President is inaugurated on January 20.
Is Election Day a day off?
No. Election Day is not a federal holiday, and federal offices, banks and the U.S. Postal Service stay open. Whether you get time off to vote depends on your state and your employer. This calendar lists General Election Day as a state holiday in even-numbered years for Hawaii and Illinois, and Return Day, a Delaware tradition, falls on the Thursday after Election Day.
Registration deadlines, early voting, absentee ballots, polling place hours and ID rules are set by each state. Use vote.gov and the USA.gov Election Day guide to find your state's rules, and check with your local election office.
Frequently asked questions about Election Day
When is Election Day 2026?
Election Day 2026 is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
When is Election Day 2028?
Election Day 2028 is on Tuesday, November 7, 2028.
What kind of election is Election Day 2026?
Election Day 2026 is a midterm election. Voters elect all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate. Many states also elect governors and other state and local officials, and vote on ballot measures. With no presidential race on the ballot, these are called midterm elections.
When is the next presidential Election Day?
The next presidential Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2028.
Is Election Day a federal holiday?
No. Election Day is not a federal holiday. Time off to vote is set by state law and by employers, and some states, such as Hawaii and Illinois, treat General Election Day as a state holiday in even-numbered years.
Why is Election Day on a Tuesday?
In the 1840s Tuesday let voters travel without leaving on Sunday, the day of rest, and Wednesday was market day. Congress chose the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in an 1845 law.
Can Election Day be on November 1?
No. The first Monday of November is between the 1st and the 7th, so Election Day, the following Tuesday, is always between November 2 and November 8.
Is there an Election Day every year?
Federal elections are held in even-numbered years. In odd-numbered years some states, for example Virginia and New Jersey, hold their own elections on the same Tuesday.