General Election Day

Election Day is a public holiday for citizens in only some states to elect their public officials into a variety of governmental offices. In most states that observe this holiday, it occurs every second year. In 2026, Election Day falls on Tuesday 3 November. The holiday will be on Tuesday 2 November in 2027. Based on federal statute, federal Election Day for President, Senators, and US House of Representative members is set on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. That means the date will always fall somewhere between 2 November and 8 November. Election Day is always on an “even” year. Although they are not required to do so, and don’t always do so, most states schedule the bulk of their elections on the same date as federal Election Day for convenience’s sake and to increase voter participation. Despite the advent of “early voting” in many states, Election Day continues to be a day greatly anticipated every two years, whether for Presidential or Mid-term elections. It is a day when democracy is put into action, and for that reason, some have proposed making it a federal holiday called “Democracy Day,” although, that has not yet happened.