When do federal elections occur?

Federal elections in the United States occur every two years, on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. This date is set by federal law passed by Congress in 1845. Federal elections always include all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate. Every four years, federal elections also include the office of President and Vice President.

Federal elections held in years that include the presidential race are called presidential elections (such as 2024). Federal elections held in even-numbered years that do not include the presidential race are called midterm elections, since they occur in the middle of the President's four-year term (such as 2022 or 2026).

The 1845 federal law set the federal election date to standardize elections across the country. Before then, states held federal elections on different dates. The day chosen, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, was selected for practical reasons in an agricultural society. November worked because the harvest was over but winter weather had not yet made travel difficult. Tuesday was chosen because Wednesday was traditional market day in many communities, and a Tuesday election allowed voters to travel to the county seat on Monday, vote on Tuesday, and return home before Wednesday's market. Sunday was avoided to respect the Christian Sabbath. The first Tuesday after the first Monday rule was used to ensure the election would not fall on November 1st, All Saints Day in the Catholic calendar.

State and local elections are held on a variety of schedules. Most states hold gubernatorial elections in midterm years (such as 2022) to focus voter attention on state issues; New Jersey and Virginia hold gubernatorial elections in odd-numbered years following presidential elections. Some local elections are held in spring or fall, on dates other than the federal election day. Special elections are held when seats become vacant between regular elections, on dates set by state law.

Federal elections include in-person voting on Election Day plus a growing range of alternatives such as early voting (offered in 47 states plus D.C.), mail-in voting (universal in some states such as Oregon and Washington, available with no excuse needed in many others), and absentee voting. Voter participation in federal elections varies. Presidential elections typically draw 60 to 67 percent of eligible voters; midterm elections typically draw 40 to 50 percent.