2026 general electionElection Day: Nov. 3, 2026Voting dates by state
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When Is Election Day 2026? Tuesday, November 3 — and the Deadlines That Come First

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Federal law fixes it as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year; the deadlines to register, vote early or ask for a mail ballot differ by state, and most arrive weeks sooner.

By Dr. AtlasPublished

Key points
  • Election Day 2026 is Tuesday, November 3: federal law sets House elections on “the Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November, in every even numbered year,” and the Federal Election Commission's 2026 calendar prints the general election date as 11/03/2026. [1][4]
  • It is a midterm: USA.gov says every seat in the U.S. House and one-third of the Senate are up for election, halfway between presidential elections. [5]
  • The Tuesday-in-November rule began with an 1845 law on presidential electors; Congress applied the same day to House elections in 1872 and to Senate elections after the Seventeenth Amendment. [7][8][9]
  • There is no national voter registration deadline. In the 27 states the Ledger has verified, the cutoffs start on October 2 (South Carolina, in person), and Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Wyoming are among the states that also register voters on Election Day. [12][27][29][33][36][49][54][55]
  • Early in-person voting opens in the first days of October in some states — October 5 in California, Montana and Nebraska — and as late as October 29 in Kentucky; ballots for military and overseas voters who have asked for them are due out 45 days ahead, on September 19. [16][21][25][33][34]

Election Day 2026 is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. [1][4] Federal law places the election of U.S. Representatives on “the Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November, in every even numbered year”; the first Monday of November 2026 is November 2, so the election falls on November 3. [1]

That date is the last chance to vote, not the first deadline. Every state has its own voter registration deadline, which can come as much as a month before the election, and early and absentee voting dates differ by state too. [12][13][14] The table below covers the 27 states the Ledger has verified, as of September 17, 2026.

When is Election Day 2026?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The date comes from a one-sentence statute, 2 U.S.C. § 7, which establishes that Tuesday “as the day for the election, in each of the States and Territories of the United States, of Representatives and Delegates to the Congress.” [1]

A companion section, 2 U.S.C. § 1, provides that a U.S. Senator is elected at the regular election “at which election a Representative to Congress is regularly by law to be chosen,” which puts Senate races on the same day. [2] Counting from the first Monday means Election Day can never be November 1: it always falls between November 2 and November 8. [1]

The Federal Election Commission's list of 2026 congressional primary dates prints the same day: “General Election Date 11/03/2026.” [4] The winners join the Congress that begins on January 3, 2027, the “3d day of January next thereafter” in the statute's words. [1]

When are the midterm elections?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the same Election Day. [1] USA.gov says “Midterm congressional elections take place halfway between presidential elections” and “The next midterm elections will be in November 2026.” [5] Every seat in the U.S. House and one-third of the Senate are up for election, USA.gov says; there is no presidential race, because the presidential “election day” arrives only “in every fourth year.” [5][6] See also what midterm elections are, what is on the November 2026 ballot, the Senate map and the House elections.

Why is Election Day the first Tuesday in November?

Strictly, it is the Tuesday after the first Monday, which in most years is also the first Tuesday. [1] The Constitution sets no date: for congressional elections it leaves the “Times, Places and Manner” to each state legislature, while providing that “the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.” [3] Congress legislated on timing first for presidential elections. [8]

An 1845 law, “An Act to establish a uniform time for holding elections for electors of President and Vice President in all the States of the Union,” required electors to be appointed “on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.” [7] Before it, the Library of Congress notes, “states selected presidential electors on different dates”; the 1848 presidential election was the first in which Americans in every state voted on the same day. [9]

The Supreme Court retold the story in June 2026. “Fraud, or at least allegations of it, ran rampant,” it wrote, because states held elections on different days and “voters could travel across the country, casting ballots in multiple States.” [8] Congress answered in 1845, and “in 1872, Congress intervened again, mandating that the election of Representatives also take place on a single day”; after the Seventeenth Amendment, “Congress required Senators to be elected on the same day as Representatives.” [8]

A Library of Congress account says the date came “after the fall harvest and before winter conditions made travel too difficult.” [10] The National Constitution Center adds that the plan “allowed people to observe the Sabbath, travel to vote, and return home for Wednesday, which was observed as Market Day.” [11]

The deadlines before Election Day 2026

Registration comes first. “There is no national voter registration deadline,” the federal site Vote.gov says. “In some states, the last day to register is 30 days before Election Day.” [12] USA.gov says every state except North Dakota requires voters to register, and that the deadline “could be as much as a month before an election.” [13]

USA.gov's “Find out when to vote” page, also published in Spanish, points readers to state-by-state dates for general elections, early and absentee voting and registration. [14][15] One nationwide date comes from federal law: states must send absentee ballots to military and overseas voters who request them at least 45 days ahead “not later than 45 days before the election,” unless the state has obtained a hardship waiver under subsection (g). [16] For November 3 that day is Saturday, September 19, the date printed in the calendars of Alaska, Florida, Maine and New Jersey. [19][22][27][39]

More from the Ledger:

Election Day 2026 deadlines by state

Key dates before the November 3, 2026 general election, by state (as of September 17, 2026)
StateRegister byEarly in-person voting startsMail-ballot request deadline
AlabamaOct. 19 [18]None listed [18]Oct. 27 by mail; Oct. 29 in person [18]
AlaskaOct. 4 (a Sunday) [19]Oct. 19 [19]Oct. 24, received [19]
ArizonaOct. 5, 11:59 p.m. [20]Oct. 7 [20]Oct. 23 [20]
CaliforniaOct. 19; conditional registration Oct. 20–Nov. 3 [21]Oct. 5, when early voting sites open [21]None needed; counties start mailing ballots by Oct. 5 [21]
FloridaOct. 5 [22]Oct. 24 (mandatory period) [22]Oct. 22 [22]
GeorgiaOct. 5 [23]Oct. 13 [23]Oct. 23 [23]
IowaOct. 19 (pre-registration) [24]Oct. 14 (absentee voting begins) [24]Oct. 19, before 5 p.m. CT [24]
KentuckyOct. 5 (online by 4 p.m. local time) [25]Oct. 29 (no-excuse) [25]Oct. 20, 11:59 p.m. ET [25]
LouisianaOct. 5 in person or by mail; Oct. 13 online [26]Oct. 20 [26]Oct. 30 [26]
MaineOct. 13 by mail; in person through Election Day [27]Oct. 4 (Sept. 4 key-dates list) or Oct. 5 (Sept. 15 release, the newer) [27][28]Oct. 29 [27]
MichiganOct. 19 online or by mail; in person only Oct. 20–Nov. 3 [29]Oct. 24 [29]Oct. 30, 5 p.m. (the Friday before) [30]
MissouriOct. 7 [31]Oct. 20 (rule: second Tuesday before; absentee in person) [32]Oct. 21, 5 p.m. (rule: second Wednesday before) [32]
MontanaOct. 5; late registration, in person, from Oct. 6, including Election Day until 8 p.m. [33]Oct. 5 (absentee ballots available in person) [33]Noon, Nov. 2 [33]
NebraskaOct. 16 online or by mail; Oct. 23, 6 p.m., in person [34]Oct. 5 [34]Oct. 23, 6 p.m. [34]
NevadaOct. 6 by mail or in person; online only Oct. 7–20; then same-day registration (vote in person) through Nov. 3 [35]Oct. 17 [35]None needed; active voters are sent a ballot [35]
New HampshireAt the polling place on Election Day [36]None listed; absentee for specific reasons [37]Noon, Nov. 2 (mailed ballot; state law) [38]
New JerseyOct. 13 [39]Oct. 24 [39]Oct. 27 by mail; Nov. 2, 3 p.m., in person [39]
North CarolinaOct. 9, 5 p.m.; same-day registration during early voting [40]Oct. 15 [40]Oct. 20, 5 p.m. [40]
OhioOct. 5 [41]Oct. 6 [42]Oct. 27 (8:30 p.m., Hamilton County) [43]
OklahomaOct. 9 [44]Oct. 28 [44]Oct. 19, 5 p.m. [44][45]
OregonOct. 13 [46]None listed [46]None listed; ballots are mailed to voters from Oct. 14 [46]
PennsylvaniaOct. 19 [47]None set; a mail ballot can be voted at the county election office once ballots are ready [48]Oct. 27, 5 p.m. (received; the same cutoff for online, mailed and in-person applications) [47][48][56]
South CarolinaOct. 2 in person; Oct. 4 online; Oct. 5 by mail (postmark) [49]Oct. 19 [49]Oct. 23, 5 p.m. [49]
TennesseeOct. 5 [50]Oct. 14 [50]Oct. 24 [50]
TexasOct. 5 [51]Oct. 19 [51]Oct. 23, received, not postmarked [51]
WisconsinOct. 14 online or by mail; Oct. 30 at early voting; also at the voting site on Election Day [52][55]Oct. 20 (City of Milwaukee's schedule) [52]Oct. 29, 5 p.m. [53]
WyomingOct. 19; later only in person, including at the polls on Election Day [54]Oct. 6 (absentee voting) [54]Any time before Election Day [54]

As of September 17, 2026. Standard deadlines, copied from the Ledger's verified state guides; each state name links to its guide, which adds exceptions, hours, the end of early voting and the ballot-return deadline. Where a state prints a rule, not a date, the cell gives both. Nevada's, Ohio's and Wisconsin's rows rest on county and municipal election offices. [35][41][52] Louisiana's calendar is marked “Revised 11/2024”; South Carolina's says it “is subject to change.” [26][49] Not yet verified, so not listed: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Does a mail ballot have to arrive by Election Day?

That depends on the state; the federal election-day statutes do not require it. In Watson v. Republican National Committee, decided June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court held that “nothing in the federal election-day statutes requires ballots to be received by election day,” and that those statutes do not prevent Mississippi from counting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to five days afterward. Justice Barrett wrote for a five-justice majority that “The electorate’s choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received.” Justice Alito, dissenting with three other justices, wrote that “Election day is a specified date, not a span of multiple days.” [8]

State rules differ. Alaska requires mailed ballots to be postmarked by Election Day and sets November 13 as the deadline to receive those mailed within the United States; New Jersey accepts timely postmarked ballots through November 9. Kentucky requires mail-in ballots to be received by 6:00 p.m. local time on Election Day, and Louisiana's calendar puts the registrar's receipt deadline, for voters other than military and overseas, on November 2. [19][25][26][39]

The Postal Service's “general recommendation” for nonmilitary voters in the United States is to mail a completed ballot “before Election Day, and at least one week prior to the deadline by which your completed ballot must be received by your election office.” [17] Where that deadline is Election Day, one week earlier is Tuesday, October 27. Each state's return deadline is in the Ledger's guide to absentee and mail ballots. [17]

Is November 3 the last election of 2026?

Not everywhere. Georgia's 2026 calendar sets December 1, 2026 as the date of a general election runoff, should one be needed. [23] For Louisiana, the FEC's table, with data as of May 18, 2026, puts the U.S. House primary on November 3 and a House runoff, if necessary, on December 12, noting that the state's House elections were postponed after the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais; the Secretary of State's 2026 calendar also lists a December 12 election. [4][26] The Ledger explains how runoff elections work.

Before you rely on a date Election calendars can change: Louisiana's is headed “DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY THE LEGISLATURE.” [26] Confirm your own deadline with your state or local election office; USA.gov likewise suggests contacting “your state or territory's election office for more details.” [13]

Questions and answers

When is Election Day 2026?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Federal law sets congressional elections on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year, and the Federal Election Commission's 2026 calendar prints the general election date as 11/03/2026. [1][4]

What day is Election Day 2026?

A Tuesday: November 3, 2026. Under 2 U.S.C. § 7 it is always the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, so it falls between November 2 and November 8. [1]

When are the midterm elections?

The 2026 midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. USA.gov says midterms take place halfway between presidential elections, with every House seat and one-third of the Senate up for election. [1][5]

What month are the midterm elections in 2026?

November. USA.gov states that “The next midterm elections will be in November 2026,” and the federal statute fixes the day as the Tuesday after the first Monday of that month, which is November 3. [1][5]

Why is Election Day the first Tuesday in November?

An 1845 law set the appointment of presidential electors on “the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November,” and Congress later applied the same day to House and Senate elections. A Library of Congress account says the date came after the fall harvest and before winter made travel too difficult. [7][8][10]

What is the voter registration deadline for the 2026 election?

There is no national deadline; Vote.gov says that in some states the last day to register is 30 days before Election Day. Among the states in the table, the deadline is October 5 in Texas, Florida and Georgia and October 19 in Alabama, California and Pennsylvania. [12][18][21][22][23][47][51]

Sources

Statutes, election offices and official records anchor this explainer. Numbered references in the text link here.

  1. 01
    2 USC 7: Time of electionOffice of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (U.S. Code) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The federal statute that fixes the day for electing U.S. Representatives and Delegates: the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year. The codification note traces it to the act of Feb. 2, 1872. When read, the page said its text contained the laws in effect on September 9, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  2. 02
    2 USC 1: Time for election of SenatorsOffice of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (U.S. Code) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The federal statute that places the election of a U.S. Senator at the regular election at which a Representative is chosen. Its source credit begins with the act of June 4, 1914. When read, the page said its text contained the laws in effect on September 16, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  3. 03
    Article 1 Section 4 Clause 1 | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of CongressLibrary of Congress (Constitution Annotated) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Text of the Elections Clause: state legislatures prescribe the times, places and manner of congressional elections, and Congress may make or alter those regulations.    Government / regulatory record
  4. 04
    2026 Congressional Primary Dates and Candidate Filing Deadlines for Ballot AccessFederal Election Commission · May 18, 2026
    FEC table of 2026 congressional primary, runoff and filing dates, with data as of 5/18/2026. It prints the general election date as 11/03/2026 and carries a note that Louisiana's U.S. House elections were postponed to 11/3/2026, with a 12/12 runoff, after the Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais.    Government / regulatory record
  5. 05
    Congressional elections and midterm electionsUSA.gov (U.S. General Services Administration) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    USA.gov's explanation of midterm elections: they fall halfway between presidential elections, the next are in November 2026, and every House seat and one-third of the Senate are up. Page last updated February 12, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  6. 06
    3 USC 21: DefinitionsOffice of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (U.S. Code) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Defines the presidential "election day" as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every fourth year, which is why 2026 has no presidential contest. When read, the page said its text contained the laws in effect on September 1, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  7. 07
    An Act to establish a uniform time for holding elections for electors of President and Vice President in all the States of the Union, 5 Stat. 721U.S. Statutes at Large, vol. 5 (GovInfo, U.S. Government Publishing Office) · Jan. 23, 1845
    The 1845 act (28th Congress, 2nd session, chapter 1, approved January 23, 1845) that first fixed the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, for the appointment of presidential electors.    Government / regulatory record
  8. 08
    Watson v. Republican National Committee, No. 24-1260 (slip opinion)Supreme Court of the United States · Jun. 29, 2026
    Supreme Court decision construing the federal election-day statutes (argued March 23, 2026; decided June 29, 2026; opinion of the Court by Justice Barrett). Its holding is that the statutes do not require ballots to be received by election day; Part I recounts why Congress fixed a single day in 1845, 1872 and after the Seventeenth Amendment.    Government / regulatory record
  9. 09
    Today in History - November 4Library of Congress · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Library of Congress history note, section "Election Day": the 1845 law required every state to choose presidential electors on the same day; before it, states chose them on different dates; 1848 was the first presidential election held everywhere on one day; an 1872 law moved House elections to the same Tuesday.    Government / regulatory record
  10. 10
    Election Day Collection CoverageLibrary of Congress Blog (Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Library of Congress blog post (the address dates it to November 2016) giving the usual explanation for a November date: after the fall harvest and before winter made travel too difficult.    Government / regulatory record
  11. 11
    10 fascinating facts about Election DayNational Constitution Center (NCC Staff) · Nov. 8, 2016
    The National Constitution Center's account of why a Tuesday: a scheme borrowed from New York that let people observe the Sabbath, travel to vote and be home for Wednesday market day.    Independent analysis / professional record
  12. 12
    Register to voteVote.gov (U.S. government voter information site) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The federal voter-registration portal: there is no national registration deadline, each state and territory sets its own rules, and in some states the last day to register is 30 days before Election Day.    Government / regulatory record
  13. 13
    Voter registration deadlinesUSA.gov (U.S. General Services Administration) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    USA.gov's page on registration deadlines: every state has its own, every state except North Dakota requires registration, the deadline can be as much as a month before an election, and voters can contact their state or territory election office. Page last updated February 23, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  14. 14
    Find out when to voteUSA.gov (U.S. General Services Administration) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    USA.gov's page on election dates: dates vary, and the page sends readers to a state-by-state list covering general elections, early and absentee voting and registration deadlines. It does not print the date of Election Day. Page last updated February 23, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  15. 15
    Cuándo son las elecciones en Estados UnidosUSA.gov en Español (U.S. General Services Administration) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The Spanish edition of USA.gov's when-to-vote page, with the same list of dates by state. Page last updated March 17, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  16. 16
    52 USC 20302: State responsibilitiesOffice of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (U.S. Code) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act provision requiring states to transmit requested absentee ballots to military and overseas voters no later than 45 days before a federal election, unless the state obtains a hardship waiver under subsection (g). When read, the page said its text contained the laws in effect on September 16, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  17. 17
    Election Mail - about.usps.comU.S. Postal Service · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The Postal Service's advice to voters who return a ballot by mail: mail it before Election Day and at least one week before the state's receipt deadline. The page also links the Postal Service's 2026 final rule on ballot mail for federal elections.    Government / regulatory record
  18. 18
    2026 Voter GuideAlabama Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Alabama's 2026 Voter Guide. Its list of dates for the November 3, 2026 general election has the registration deadline (October 19) and four absentee deadlines, and no early in-person voting period.    Government / regulatory record
  19. 19
    Election Calendar - Division of ElectionsAlaska Division of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Alaska's election calendar: registration deadline 10/04/2026, in-person absentee and early voting from 10/19/2026, by-mail applications due 10/24/2026, UOCAVA ballots by 09/19/2026, and by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received by 11/13/2026.    Government / regulatory record
  20. 20
    Arizona Secretary of State Election Calendar 2025-2026Arizona Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Arizona's official election calendar (revised 5/5/2026): registration closes 10/5/2026 at 11:59 p.m., early voting begins 10/7/2026 and ballot-by-mail requests are due 10/23/2026.    Government / regulatory record
  21. 21
    Key Dates and Deadlines :: California Secretary of StateCalifornia Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    California's key dates for the November 3, 2026 general election: registration deadline October 19, conditional same-day registration October 20 to November 3, early voting sites open October 5, and counties begin mailing every registered voter a ballot by October 5.    Government / regulatory record
  22. 22
    Election Dates - Division of Elections - Florida Department of StateFlorida Department of State, Division of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Florida's election dates page, General Election 2026: register by October 5, request a mailed ballot by October 22, mandatory early voting October 24 to 31, UOCAVA ballots by September 19.    Government / regulatory record
  23. 23
    2026 Election Calendar and HighlightsGeorgia Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Georgia's 2026 elections calendar: registration deadline October 5, advance voting from October 13, absentee request deadline October 23, general election November 3 and a general election runoff date of December 1, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  24. 24
    Voter Ready | A Guide To Voting In IowaIowa Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Iowa's voter site, "Important Dates for the November 2026 General Election": absentee voting begins October 14; October 19 is the pre-registration deadline and the deadline for a mailed-ballot request to reach the county auditor before 5:00 p.m. CT.    Government / regulatory record
  25. 25
    Upcoming Election Summary - State Board of ElectionsKentucky State Board of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Kentucky's summary for the 2026 general election: register by Monday, October 5 (online by 4 p.m. local time); mail-in ballot requests by October 20, 11:59 p.m. ET; no-excuse early voting October 29 to 31; mail-in ballots received by 6:00 p.m. local time on Election Day.    Government / regulatory record
  26. 26
    2026 Elections (Dates Are Subject to Change by the Legislature), Revised 11/2024Louisiana Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Louisiana's 2026 elections calendar in the revision marked 11/2024, the only copy the Ledger's tools could read. Its November 3 row ("Congressional General/Open Primary") gives 10/5 in-person and mail registration, 10/13 online registration, 10/30 mail-ballot request, 11/2 registrar's receipt deadline and early voting 10/20 to 10/27; it also lists a December 12 "Open General" election. Read on Sep. 17, 2026 at the office's earlier address (…/ElectionsAndVoting/PublishedDocuments/ElectionsCalendar2026.pdf), which no longer resolves; the link now goes to the office's current page on the subject (checked Sep. 18, 2026).    Government / regulatory record
  27. 27
    General Election is two months away; Secretary of State's Office provides update on Maine election processesMaine Secretary of State · Sep. 4, 2026
    Maine Secretary of State release of September 4, 2026 with key dates: UOCAVA ballots by September 19; in-person no-excuse absentee voting from October 4 through October 29; absentee requests received by October 29; registration by mail received by October 13, and in person through the close of polls on Election Day.    Government / regulatory record
  28. 28
    US Supreme Court Upholds Right to Vote by MailMaine Secretary of State · Sep. 15, 2026
    Maine Secretary of State release of September 15, 2026. Cited only for its sentence on timing, which says absentee voting begins October 5 — one day later than the October 4 printed in the office's September 4 key-dates list. The September 15 release is the newer of the two.    Government / regulatory record
  29. 29
    ElectionsMichigan Department of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Michigan's elections page, dates for the November 3, 2026 election: last day to register by mail or online October 19; new registrations in person only October 20 to November 3; early voting October 24 to November 1.    Government / regulatory record
  30. 30
    Absentee votingMichigan Department of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Michigan's absentee voting page: online and mailed applications are due by 5 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day (October 30, 2026).    Government / regulatory record
  31. 31
    2026 Missouri Election CalendarMissouri Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Missouri's 2026 election calendar: for the November 3, 2026 general election the last day to register to vote is October 7, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  32. 32
    How to VoteMissouri Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Missouri's how-to-vote page, which states the rules rather than dates: no-excuse in-person absentee voting from the second Tuesday before the election (October 20, 2026), and mailed or faxed absentee requests received by 5:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday before the election (October 21, 2026).    Government / regulatory record
  33. 33
    2026 Primary and General Election Calendar (Updated May 2026)Montana Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Montana's 2026 election calendar: regular registration closes Monday, October 5, the date by which absentee ballots must be available for voting in person; late registration begins October 6; a one-time absentee ballot must be applied for before noon on November 2.    Government / regulatory record
  34. 34
    2026 Official Election Calendar - State of NebraskaNebraska Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Nebraska's official 2026 election calendar: October 5, first day of in-person early voting; October 16, online and mailed (postmark) registration deadline; October 23 at 6 PM, in-person registration deadline and deadline for mailed-ballot applications.    Government / regulatory record
  35. 35
    Election Guide, Clark County, NV (November 3, 2026 General Election)Clark County Election Department · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Clark County's election guide for the November 3, 2026 general election (the Nevada Secretary of State's site was refused to the Ledger's fetch tool): standard registration closes 10/6/26, online-only registration runs 10/7/26 to 10/20/26, early voting is October 17 to 30, and active registered voters are sent a mail ballot automatically.    Government / regulatory record
  36. 36
    At the Polls on Election Day | New Hampshire Secretary of StateNew Hampshire Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    New Hampshire Secretary of State page: eligible residents may register to vote on Election Day at the polling place for their town or city ward.    Government / regulatory record
  37. 37
    Absentee Ballots | New Hampshire Secretary of StateNew Hampshire Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    New Hampshire's absentee ballot page: absentee voting is for specific reasons; the state's voter pages describe no early in-person voting period.    Government / regulatory record
  38. 38
    Section 657:15 Sending Absentee Ballots.New Hampshire General Court (Revised Statutes Annotated) · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    New Hampshire statute: the clerk mails absentee ballots for verified requests received by 12:00 p.m. on the day before the election (November 2, 2026).    Government / regulatory record
  39. 39
    2026 General Election TimelineNew Jersey Department of State, Division of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    New Jersey's 2026 general election timeline: mail-in ballots start going out September 19; registration deadline October 13; early voting October 24 to November 1; mail-in applications by mail by October 27 and in person by 3:00 p.m. November 2; postmarked mail-in ballots accepted through November 9.    Government / regulatory record
  40. 40
    Upcoming Election | NCSBENorth Carolina State Board of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    North Carolina's page for the November 3, 2026 election: registration deadline October 9 at 5 p.m.; in-person early voting, with same-day registration, from October 15; absentee request deadline October 20 at 5 p.m.    Government / regulatory record
  41. 41
    Registration Deadlines – Clark CountyClark County (Ohio) Board of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    An Ohio county board of elections page (the Ohio Secretary of State's site was refused to the Ledger's fetch tool): registration forms must be postmarked or received by October 5, 2026 for the general election.    Government / regulatory record
  42. 42
    Early Voting Hours – Montgomery CountyMontgomery County (Ohio) Board of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    An Ohio county board's early voting schedule for the November 3, 2026 general election; the first row is Tuesday, October 6, 2026. The Greene and Miami county boards print the same schedule.    Government / regulatory record
  43. 43
    Voting in the November 3, 2026 General Election (November 2026 - Election Calendar)Hamilton County (Ohio) Board of Elections · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Hamilton County's one-page calendar for the November 3, 2026 general election: absentee applications are accepted until 8:30 p.m. on October 27.    Government / regulatory record
  44. 44
    2026 Voter Information CalendarOklahoma State Election Board · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Oklahoma's voter information calendar. The November 3 row gives October 9 (voter registration deadline), October 19 (absentee ballot request deadline) and early voting October 28 to 31.    Government / regulatory record
  45. 45
    Oklahoma State Election BoardOklahoma State Election Board · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    The State Election Board's home page, which adds the hour of the absentee request deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, October 19, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  46. 46
    Oregon Secretary of State : Upcoming Elections : State of OregonOregon Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Oregon's page for the November 3, 2026 general election: last day to register October 13; ballots are mailed to voters starting October 14; the page lists no early-voting period and no ballot-request deadline.    Government / regulatory record
  47. 47
    Upcoming Elections | Voting & Election Information | Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Pennsylvania's upcoming-elections page: November 3, 2026 general election; last day to register October 19; last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot October 27.    Government / regulatory record
  48. 48
    On-Demand Mail Ballot Voting | Voting & Election Information | Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Pennsylvania's page on voting a mail ballot in person before Election Day: once ballots are available, a voter can request, receive, vote and submit a mail ballot in one visit; the in-person application deadline is 5 p.m., October 27, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  49. 49
    2026 Election Calendar (scVOTES)South Carolina State Election Commission · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    South Carolina's 2026 election calendar, dated August 31, 2026 (the file name contains the word Draft, and the document says the calendar is subject to change): register in person by 5:00 p.m. October 2, online by 11:59 p.m. October 4, or by mail postmarked October 5; early voting begins October 19; absentee applications by 5:00 p.m. October 23.    Government / regulatory record
  50. 50
    Key Dates for the 2026 Election CycleTennessee Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Tennessee's key dates for the November 3, 2026 state and federal general election: registration deadline Monday, October 5; early voting October 14 to 29; absentee ballot request deadline Saturday, October 24.    Government / regulatory record
  51. 51
    Important Election DatesTexas Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Texas Secretary of State dates for the "Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - Uniform Election Date": last day to register Monday, October 5; early voting by personal appearance from Monday, October 19; applications for a ballot by mail received by Friday, October 23.    Government / regulatory record
  52. 52
    Election CommissionCity of Milwaukee Election Commission · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    City of Milwaukee Election Commission page for the November 3, 2026 general election (the Wisconsin Elections Commission's sites were refused to the Ledger's fetch tool): last day to register by mail or online October 14; last day to register at early voting October 30; early voting October 20 to November 1.    Government / regulatory record
  53. 53
    Elections | Village of ClevelandVillage of Cleveland (Wisconsin), Village Clerk · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    A Wisconsin municipal clerk's official notice for the November 3, 2026 election: applications for an absentee ballot by mail are due by 5:00 p.m. on the fifth day before the election, October 29, 2026.    Government / regulatory record
  54. 54
    2026 Key Election DatesWyoming Secretary of State · Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
    Wyoming's one-page key election dates: registration closes October 19 for the general election; voters may still register in person while voting absentee October 20 to November 2, or at the polls on Election Day; general election absentee voting runs October 6 to November 2; absentee ballots may be requested any time before the day of the election.    Government / regulatory record
  55. 55
    Register to VoteCity of Milwaukee Election Commission · Accessed Sep. 18, 2026
    Wisconsin voters may register at their voting site on Election Day (source used by the Ledger's verified WI guide).    Government / regulatory record
  56. 56
    Mail-in and Absentee BallotPennsylvania Department of State · Accessed Sep. 18, 2026
    “5 p.m. Oct. 27: Your APPLICATION for a mail-in or absentee ballot must be received by your county election office.” “8 p.m. Nov. 3: Your county election office must RECEIVE your completed mail ballot by this time.”    Government / regulatory record

Reviewed . This explainer is general civic information, not legal advice. Election rules change; the official page linked beside each rule is the authority, and the date above is when those pages were last read.