Election Day

Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. It can fall on or between November 2 and November 8. It is the day when popular ballots are held to select public officials. These include national, state and local government representatives at all levels up to the president.

Many people in the United States vote on Election Day.

©iStockphoto.com/Igor Smichkov

What do people do?

On Election Day, citizens of the United States of America can vote by popular ballot for candidates for public offices at local, state and national levels. In even numbered years, federal elections are always held. In years divisible by four, presidential elections are always held. Elections for local and state officials may be held in odd or even-numbered years, depending on local and state laws.
The way in which people vote, depends on the state in which they live. In Oregon, all votes are cast by post and all votes have to be received at a given time on Election Day. In the state of Washington, nearly all people vote by post and the envelopes containing the voting papers have to be postmarked with the date of Election Day. In other states, people vote at voting stations, where long queues can form.

Election Day Observances

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Weekday	Date	Year	Name	Holiday type	Where it is observed
Tue	Nov 3	1992	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 5	1996	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 7	2000	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 2	2004	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 4	2008	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 4	2008	Election Day	State holiday	12 states
Tue	Nov 2	2010	Election Day	State holiday	12 states
Tue	Nov 6	2012	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 6	2012	Election Day	State holiday	12 states
Tue	Nov 4	2014	Election Day	State holiday	12 states
Tue	Nov 8	2016	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 8	2016	Election Day	State holiday	12 states
Tue	Nov 6	2018	Election Day	State holiday	12 states
Tue	Nov 3	2020	Election Day	Observance
Tue	Nov 3	2020	Election Day	State holiday	12 states