Every vote is a voice in our shared constitutional story. Use this page to keep track of key federal and state election dates, and confirm your own deadlines with your state election office.

Federal Election Dates

How the federal election cycle works

Federal law sets Election Day as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. Presidential elections are held every four years; the elections in between are called midterms, when all 435 House seats and about one-third of Senate seats are on the ballot.

Key dates

• 2026 General (Midterm) Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2026

• 2027 Off-Year Elections: Only some states hold statewide elections in odd years. Kentucky and Mississippi elect governors on Tuesday, November 2, 2027 (Kentucky primary May 18; Mississippi primary August 3). Louisiana's gubernatorial primary is Saturday, October 9, 2027, with a general election on November 20, 2027 if needed. New Jersey and Virginia also hold legislative elections in 2027. Check your state's calendar.

• 2028 Presidential Primary Season: Primaries and caucuses typically run from early in the year through June 2028. Some states have set dates by law; others are to be announced. Party rules can also set separate dates for party-run contests. See the table below.

• 2028 Presidential General Election: Tuesday, November 7, 2028

• Electoral College: Under federal law (3 U.S.C., as amended by the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022), electors meet in each state on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December: December 19, 2028. States must issue their certificates of ascertainment by December 13, 2028.

• Congress counts the electoral votes: January 6, 2029

• Inauguration Day: January 20, 2029 (set by the 20th Amendment)

State Election Dates

All states hold the federal general election on November 3, 2026. 2028 presidential primary dates shown are set by state law or announced by state election officials as of October 2026 and may change. "TBA" means not yet set.

Alabama: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Alaska: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Arizona: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 21, 2028

Arkansas: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

California: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Colorado: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Connecticut: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Delaware: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Florida: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 21, 2028

Georgia: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Hawaii: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Idaho: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Illinois: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 21, 2028

Indiana: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Iowa: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Kansas: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Kentucky: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Louisiana: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 25, 2028

Maine: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Maryland: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Massachusetts: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Michigan: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Feb 22, 2028

Minnesota: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Mississippi: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 14, 2028

Missouri: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Montana: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Nebraska: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Nevada: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Feb 1, 2028

New Hampshire: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

New Jersey: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

New Mexico: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

New York: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

North Carolina: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

North Dakota: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Ohio: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 21, 2028

Oklahoma: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Oregon: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Pennsylvania: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Rhode Island: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

South Carolina: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

South Dakota: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Tennessee: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Texas: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Utah: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Vermont: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Virginia: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 7, 2028

Washington: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary Mar 14, 2028

West Virginia: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Wisconsin: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Wyoming: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

District of Columbia: 2026 General Nov 3, 2026 | 2028 Primary TBA

Dates marked TBA have not yet been officially set or confirmed. Check your state election office.

Registration deadlines, early-voting windows and mail-ballot rules vary by state. Find your state's rules and register at vote.gov.

Sources: U.S. Code (2 U.S.C. 7; 3 U.S.C. 1, 7, 15), U.S. Constitution (20th Amendment), Federal Election Commission, National Conference of State Legislatures, vote.gov.