Election Day ( United states ) - wikipedia Election Day ( United states ) This article is about the day for general elections. For primary elections, see Super Tuesday. National Election Day Type Day for the election of public officials in the United States Celebrations Exercising civic duty, voting for elected officials, visiting polling precincts Date The Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2017 date November 7 ( Details ) 2018 date November 6 ( Details ) 2019 date November 5 ( Details ) 2020 date November 3 ( Details ) Frequency annual Related to Super Tuesday In the United States, Election Day is the day set by law for the general elections of federal public officials. It is statutorily set as `` the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November '' or `` the first Tuesday after November 1 ''. The earliest possible date is November 2, and the latest possible date is November 8. For federal offices ( President, Vice President, and United States Congress ), Election Day occurs only in even - numbered years. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, in which electors for President and Vice President are chosen according to the method determined by each state. Elections to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate are held every two years ; all Representatives are elected to serve two - year terms and are up for election every two years, while Senators serve six - year terms, staggered so that one third of Senators are elected in any given general election. General elections in which presidential candidates are not on the ballot are referred to as midterm elections. Terms for those elected begin in January the following year ; the President and Vice President are inaugurated ( `` sworn in '' ) on Inauguration Day, which is usually on January 20. Many state and local government offices are also elected on Election Day as a matter of convenience and cost saving, although a handful of states hold elections for state offices ( such as governor ) during odd - numbered `` off years '', or during other even - numbered `` midterm years '', and may hold special elections for offices that have become vacant. Congress has mandated a uniform date for presidential ( 3 U.S.C. § 1 ) and congressional ( 2 U.S.C. § 1 and 2 U.S.C. § 7 ) elections, though early voting is nonetheless authorized in many states. Election Day is a civic holiday in some states, including Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, and the territory of Puerto Rico. Some other states require that workers be permitted to take time off with pay. California Elections Code Section 14000 provides that employees otherwise unable to vote must be allowed two hours off with pay, at the beginning or end of a shift. A federal holiday, Democracy Day, to coincide with Election Day has been proposed. Other movements in the IT and automotive industries encourage employers to voluntarily give their employees paid time off on Election Day. Contents 1 History 2 Criticism 3 Holiday and paid leave 4 Early and postal voting 5 Local elections 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History No federal law regulated the 1788 federal election. In 1792, federal law permitted each state to conduct presidential elections in the state ( i.e., to choose their electors ) at any time in a 34 - day period before the first Wednesday of December, which was the day set for the meeting of the electors of the U.S. president and vice-president ( the Electoral College ), in their respective states. This gave each state some flexibility in the holding of their elections. An election date in November was seen as convenient because the harvest would have been completed ( important in an agrarian society ) and the winter - like storms would not yet have begun in earnest ( especially an advantage in the days before paved roads and snowplows ). However, in this arrangement the states that voted later could be influenced by a candidate 's victories in the states that voted earlier, a problem later exacerbated by improved communications via train and telegraph. In close elections, the states that voted last might well determine the outcome. A uniform date for choosing presidential electors was instituted by the Congress in 1845. Many theories have been advanced as to why the Congress settled on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The actual reasons, as shown in records of Congressional debate on the bill in December 1844, were fairly prosaic. The bill initially set the day for choosing presidential electors on `` the first Tuesday in November, '' in years divisible by four ( 1848, 1852, etc. ). But it was pointed out that in some years the period between the first Tuesday in November and the first Wednesday in December ( when the electors are required to meet in their state capitals to vote ) would be more than 34 days, in violation of the existing Electoral College law. So, the bill was reworded to move the date for choosing presidential electors to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, a date scheme already used in New York. The period between Election Day and the first Wednesday in December is always 29 days. The effect of the change was to make November 2 the earliest day on which Election Day may fall. In 1845, the United States was largely an agrarian society. Farmers often needed a full day to travel by horse - drawn vehicles to the county seat to vote. Tuesday was established as election day because it did not interfere with the Biblical Sabbath or with market day, which was on Wednesday in many towns. Criticism In modern times, the United States is no longer primarily an agrarian society, and Tuesday is now normally a work day throughout the country with most voters working on that day. This has led activists to object to Election Day being on a Tuesday on the grounds that it decreases voter turnout. They advocate either making Election Day a federal holiday or allowing voters to cast their ballots over two or more days. Activists also encourage workplaces to allow their employees paid time off in lieu of such mandates and encourage voters to make use of early voting and postal voting facilities when available and convenient. Several commentators have noted the irony of Election Day being a regular working day, while Veterans Day, which typically falls on November 11, is a federal holiday. Many have called for the holidays to be merged, so citizens can have a day off to vote. This would be seen as a way to honor veterans by exercising the democratic right to vote. Holiday and paid leave See also : Democracy Day ( United States ) Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, and the territory of Puerto Rico have declared Election Day a civic holiday. Some other states require that workers be permitted to take time off from employment without loss of pay. California Elections Code Section 14000 and New York State Election Law provide that employees without sufficient time to vote must be allowed two hours off with pay, at the beginning or end of a shift. Democracy Day, a planned federal holiday to coincide with Election Day, was unsuccessfully proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in 2005. It was later reintroduced in the Senate in 2014 and has not been enacted. Some employers allow their employees to come in late or leave early on Election Day to allow them an opportunity to get to their precinct and vote. The United Auto Workers union has negotiated making Election Day a holiday for workers of U.S. domestic auto manufacturers. In July 2016, venture capitalist Hunter Walk began encouraging tech companies to give their employees time off to vote on Election Day. Walk 's campaign evolved into a website, TakeOffElectionDay.com, which now highlights the 140 + tech companies ( including Spotify, Wikimedia Foundation, Autodesk, and Square, Inc. ) that are giving their employees time to vote on Election Day. Early and postal voting Most states allow for early voting, allowing voters to cast ballots before the Election Day. Early voting periods vary from 4 to 50 days prior to Election Day. Unconditional early voting in person is allowed in 32 states and in D.C. Also, most states have some kind of absentee ballot system. Unconditional absentee voting by mail is allowed in 27 states and D.C., and with an excuse in another 21 states. Unconditional permanent absentee voting is allowed in 7 states and in D.C. In Colorado, Oregon and Washington State all major elections are by postal voting, with ballot papers sent to voters several weeks before Election Day. In Colorado and Oregon, all postal votes must be received by a set time on Election Day, as is common with absentee ballots in most states ( except overseas military ballots, which receive more time by federal law ). Washington State requires postal votes be postmarked by Election Day. For the 2008 presidential election, 32 % of votes were early votes. Local elections Elected offices of municipalities, counties ( in most states ), and other local entities ( such as school boards and other special - purpose districts ) have their elections subject to rules of their state, and in some states, they vary according to choices of the jurisdiction in question. For instance, in Connecticut, all towns, cities, and boroughs hold elections in every odd - numbered year, but as of 2004, 16 have them on the first Monday in May, while the other 153 are on Election Day. In Massachusetts, the 50 cities are required to hold their elections on Election Day, but the 301 towns may choose any date, and most have traditionally held their elections in early spring, after the last snowfall. Year Day Details Type 2000 November 7 United States elections, 2000 Presidential November 6 United States elections, 2001 Off - year 2002 November 5 United States elections, 2002 Midterm 2003 November 4 United States elections, 2003 Off - year November 2 United States elections, 2004 Presidential 2005 November 8 United States elections, 2005 Off - year 2006 November 7 United States elections, 2006 Midterm 2007 November 6 United States elections, 2007 Off - year 2008 November 4 United States elections, 2008 Presidential 2009 November 3 United States elections, 2009 Off - year November 2 United States elections, 2010 Midterm 2011 November 8 United States elections, 2011 Off - year 2012 November 6 United States elections, 2012 Presidential 2013 November 5 United States elections, 2013 Off - year 2014 November 4 United States elections, 2014 Midterm 2015 November 3 United States elections, 2015 Off - year 2016 November 8 United States elections, 2016 Presidential 2017 November 7 United States elections, 2017 Off - year 2018 November 6 United States elections, 2018 Midterm 2019 November 5 United States elections, 2019 Off - year 2020 November 3 United States elections, 2020 Presidential See also Democracy Day ( United States ) Election Primary election Public holidays of the United States Special election U.S. state holiday References ^ Jump up to : Statutes at Large, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, p. 721. Jump up ^ The bill originally specified a 30 - day period for the states to choose their electors. Annals of Congress, House of Representatives, 2nd Congress, 1st Session, p. 278. Jump up ^ Statutes at Large, 2nd Congress, 1st Session, p. 239. Jump up ^ William C. Kimberling, The Electoral College, Federal Election Commission, 1992, pp. 6 - 7 Jump up ^ The theories include that it was placed to avoid the Catholic All Saints Day, ( November 1 ), a holy day of obligation. See InfoPlease.com and U.S. Election Assistance Commission Jump up ^ Congressional Globe, House of Representatives, 28th Congress, 2nd Session, pp. 14 - 15. Jump up ^ Huffstutter, P.J. ( October 31, 2006 ). `` Officials face Election Day stumper, with possible payoff online ''. Seattle Times. Retrieved May 31, 2016. Jump up ^ Sutter, John D. ( 12 November 2012 ). `` Election Day should be a federal holiday ''. CNN. Retrieved 20 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` Policy Proposals ''. Retrieved 20 October 2016. Jump up ^ `` New York State Election Law, § 3 - 110 '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Why You Should Give Your Employees Election Day Off ''. 2016 - 08 - 04. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 05. Jump up ^ `` News and Press Releases Square ''. squareup.com. Retrieved 2016 - 08 - 05. ^ Jump up to : `` Absentee and Early Voting ''. National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 30. Jump up ^ Absentee and Early Voting. National Conference of State Legislatures. Jump up ^ Michael McDonald ( 2010 - 05 - 01 ). `` ( Nearly ) Final 2008 Early Voting Statistics ''. Department of Public and International Affairs, George Mason University. Archived from the original on 2012 - 07 - 30. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 30. External links `` Voting On Tuesday : How is This Still a Thing ? '', Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, November 5, 2016 -- via YouTube Federal holidays in the United States Current New Year 's Day Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Washington 's Birthday Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Columbus Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Former The Eighth ( 1828 -- 1861 ) Victory Day ( 1948 -- 1975 ) Proposed Flag Day ( 1950 ) Election Day ( 1993 ) Malcolm X Day ( 1993 -- 1994 ) Democracy Day ( 2005, 2014 ) Cesar Chavez Day ( 2008 ) Susan B. Anthony Day ( 2011 ) Native American Day ( 2013 ) Holidays, observances, and celebrations in the United States January New Year 's Day ( federal ) Martin Luther King Jr. Day ( federal ) Confederate Heroes Day ( TX ) Fred Korematsu Day ( CA, FL, HI, VA ) Idaho Human Rights Day ( ID ) Inauguration Day ( federal quadrennial, DC area ) Kansas Day ( KS ) Lee -- Jackson Day ( formerly Lee -- Jackson -- King Day ) ( VA ) Robert E. Lee Day ( FL ) Stephen Foster Memorial Day ( 36 ) The Eighth ( LA, former federal ) January -- February Super Bowl Sunday February American Heart Month Black History Month Washington 's Birthday / Presidents ' Day ( federal ) Valentine 's Day Georgia Day ( GA ) Groundhog Day Lincoln 's Birthday ( CA, CT, IL, IN, MO, NJ, NY, WV ) National Girls and Women in Sports Day National Freedom Day ( 36 ) Primary Election Day ( WI ) Ronald Reagan Day ( CA ) Rosa Parks Day ( CA, MO ) Susan B. Anthony Day ( CA, FL, NY, WI, WV, proposed federal ) February -- March Mardi Gras Ash Wednesday ( religious ) Courir de Mardi Gras ( religious ) Super Tuesday March Irish - American Heritage Month National Colon Cancer Awareness Month Women 's History Month St. Patrick 's Day ( religious ) Spring break ( week ) Casimir Pulaski Day ( IL ) Cesar Chavez Day ( CA, CO, TX, proposed federal ) Evacuation Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Harriet Tubman Day ( NY ) Holi ( NY, religious ) Mardi Gras ( AL ( in two counties ), LA ) Maryland Day ( MD ) National Poison Prevention Week ( week ) Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day ( HI ) Saint Joseph 's Day ( religious ) Seward 's Day ( AK ) Texas Independence Day ( TX ) Town Meeting Day ( VT ) March -- April Easter ( religious ) Palm Sunday ( religious ) Passover ( religious ) Good Friday ( CT, NC, PR, religious ) Easter Monday ( religious ) April Confederate History Month 420 Day April Fools ' Day Arbor Day Confederate Memorial Day ( AL, MS ) Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust ( week ) Earth Day Emancipation Day ( DC ) Thomas Jefferson 's Birthday ( AL ) Pascua Florida ( FL ) Patriots ' Day ( MA, ME ) San Jacinto Day ( TX ) Siblings Day Walpurgis Night ( religious ) May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Jewish American Heritage Month Memorial Day ( federal ) Mother 's Day ( 36 ) Cinco de Mayo Harvey Milk Day ( CA ) Law Day ( 36 ) Loyalty Day ( 36 ) Malcolm X Day ( CA, IL, proposed federal ) May Day Military Spouse Day National Day of Prayer ( 36 ) National Defense Transportation Day ( 36 ) National Maritime Day ( 36 ) Peace Officers Memorial Day ( 36 ) Truman Day ( MO ) June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month Father 's Day ( 36 ) Bunker Hill Day ( Suffolk County, MA ) Carolina Day ( SC ) Emancipation Day In Texas / Juneteenth ( TX ) Flag Day ( 36, proposed federal ) Helen Keller Day ( PA ) Honor America Days ( 3 weeks ) Jefferson Davis Day ( AL, FL ) Kamehameha Day ( HI ) Odunde Festival ( Philadelphia, PA ) Senior Week ( week ) West Virginia Day ( WV ) July Independence Day ( federal ) Lā Hoʻihoʻi Ea ( HI, unofficial ) Parents ' Day ( 36 ) Pioneer Day ( UT ) July -- August Summer vacation August American Family Day ( AZ ) Barack Obama Day ( IL ) Bennington Battle Day ( VT ) Hawaii Admission Day / Statehood Day ( HI ) Lyndon Baines Johnson Day ( TX ) National Aviation Day ( 36 ) Service Reduction Day ( MD ) Victory over Japan Day ( RI, former federal ) Women 's Equality Day ( 36 ) September Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Labor Day ( federal ) California Admission Day ( CA ) Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Day ( 36 ) Constitution Day ( 36 ) Constitution Week ( week ) Defenders Day ( MD ) Gold Star Mother 's Day ( 36 ) National Grandparents Day ( 36 ) National Payroll Week ( week ) Native American Day ( CA, TN, proposed federal ) Patriot Day ( 36 ) September -- October Hispanic Heritage Month Oktoberfest Rosh Hashanah ( religious ) Yom Kippur ( religious ) October Breast Cancer Awareness Month Disability Employment Awareness Month Filipino American History Month LGBT History Month Columbus Day ( federal ) Halloween Alaska Day ( AK ) Child Health Day ( 36 ) General Pulaski Memorial Day German - American Day Indigenous Peoples ' Day ( VT ) International Day of Non-Violence Leif Erikson Day ( 36 ) Missouri Day ( MO ) National School Lunch Week Native American Day ( SD ) Nevada Day ( NV ) Sweetest Day White Cane Safety Day ( 36 ) October -- November Diwali ( religious ) November Native American Indian Heritage Month Veterans Day ( federal ) Thanksgiving ( federal ) Day after Thanksgiving ( 24 ) Election Day ( CA, DE, HI, KY, MT, NJ, NY, OH, PR, WV, proposed federal ) Family Day ( NV ) Hanukkah ( religious ) Lā Kūʻokoʻa ( HI, unofficial ) Native American Heritage Day ( MD, WA ) Obama Day ( Perry County, AL ) December Christmas ( religious, federal ) Alabama Day ( AL ) Christmas Eve ( KY, NC, SC ) Day after Christmas ( KY, NC, SC, TX ) Festivus Hanukkah ( religious, week ) Indiana Day ( IN ) Kwanzaa ( religious, week ) National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ( 36 ) New Year 's Eve Pan American Aviation Day ( 36 ) Rosa Parks Day ( OH, OR ) Wright Brothers Day ( 36 ) Varies ( year round ) Eid al - Adha ( religious ) Eid al - Fitr ( religious ) Ramadan ( religious, month ) Legend : ( federal ) = federal holidays, ( state ) = state holidays, ( religious ) = religious holidays, ( week ) = weeklong holidays, ( month ) = monthlong holidays, ( 36 ) = Title 36 Observances and Ceremonies Bold indicates major holidays commonly celebrated in the United States, which often represent the major celebrations of the month. See also : Lists of holidays, Hallmark holidays, public holidays in the United States, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Election_Day_(United_States)&oldid=807985754 '' Categories : Elections in the United States State holidays in the United States Movable November observances Tuesday observances Hidden categories : Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Infobox holiday with missing field Infobox holiday ( other ) All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Français Хальмг 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia עברית Nederlands 日本 語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 31 October 2017, at 05 : 27. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: when is a presidential election required to take place according to the constitution
Answer: every four years, in years divisible by four