Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 | US Primary Dates, Early Voting & Registration Deadlines

Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 are the same in every county of a state: Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, and statewide primaries ran from March 3 to September 15, 2026. Counties set early voting sites and hours inside each state’s window, which opens as early as September 18 and closes as late as November 3, and 47 states plus the District of Columbia allow no-excuse early voting in some form.

Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 – Introduction

Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 do not vary the way many voters expect. Federal law sets Election Day, and each state sets its own primary date, early voting window and registration deadline. Those dates apply to every county in the state. Counties and cities decide where early voting sites sit, which hours they keep and how many days they open inside the state’s window.

This report is current as of Sunday, October 25, 2026, nine days before Election Day. It draws on Ballotpedia’s 2026 state calendars, which cite each state’s election office, plus the South Carolina Election Commission, the Supreme Court’s June 2026 ruling on mail ballots and county-level notes where a state leaves dates to local officials. Every table lists its source. Voters should confirm site hours with their county election office.

Interesting Facts About Midterm Election Dates by County 2026

STATES BY EARLY VOTING START WINDOW, NOVEMBER 3, 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
Sept 18-24 (5)    █████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Oct 5-9 (9)       █████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Oct 13-17 (10)    ██████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Oct 19-24 (18)    ██████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
Oct 26-29 (3)     ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░

Data source: Ballotpedia, Early Voting Dates 2026 and Voter Registration Deadlines 2026 (citing state election offices); 270toWin; Votebeat and CBS News on Watson v. RNC. Window counts are report calculations (44 states plus DC have a fixed start date).

Election Day falls on November 3 in all 50 states. Voters elect all 435 House members, 35 senators and 36 governors. Early voting start dates range from September 18 in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia to October 29 in Kentucky. As of today, only 3 jurisdictions have not opened early voting yet: DC on October 26, Oklahoma on October 28 and Kentucky on October 29.

The counts frame Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 as a state-level calendar with local variation. 18 states open early voting between October 19 and October 24, the largest group. Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting, and Oregon votes entirely by mail. North Dakota and Pennsylvania leave early start dates to counties.

Midterm Primary Dates by State 2026: Calendar From March 3 to September 15

STATEWIDE PRIMARIES HELD BY MONTH, 2026
March       █████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   5
May         ███████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  11
June        ███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  15
July        █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   1
August      ██████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  14
September   ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   4

Data source: Ballotpedia, Early Voting Dates 2026 and Voter Registration Deadlines 2026, primary tables (citing state election offices). DC held its primary on June 16 and is not counted among the 50 states.

Primary season ran March 3 to September 15, and 15 states held statewide primaries in June alone. The two busiest single days were May 19 and June 2, each with 6 states. Arizona’s primary moved to July 21, the only July date. Louisiana held a closed party primary on May 16 and has a statewide election on December 12, which sits outside the November calendar.

These dates were uniform inside each state, so a voter in any county of Texas voted on March 3. Local runoffs and special elections, which counties and cities schedule on their own, are the main exceptions. Primary dates matter now because the winners appear on the November 3 ballot, and some states, such as Washington and California, use top-two systems that send candidates of the same party to the general election.

Midterm Election Dates by County 2026: Early Voting Windows for Large Counties

EARLY VOTING WINDOW LENGTH, STATE WINDOW FOR LARGE COUNTIES (DAYS)
Los Angeles CA (Oct 5-Nov 2)     ██████████████████████████████░░░░  29
Cook IL (Sep 24-Nov 2)           ██████████████████████████████████  40
Fulton GA (Oct 13-Oct 30)        ██████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  18
Maricopa AZ (Oct 7-Oct 30)       ████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░  24
Harris TX (Oct 19-Oct 30)        ████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  12
Miami-Dade FL (Oct 24-Oct 31)    ████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   8

Data source: Ballotpedia, Early Voting Dates 2026 (statewide windows, citing state election offices); South Carolina Election Commission for county-set early voting centers. Day counts are inclusive and are report calculations. County boards publish exact site lists.

Each row shows the state window that governs the county, since counties do not set separate Midterm Election Dates by County 2026. Cook County’s window is the longest here at 40 days, from September 24 to November 2. Harris County’s is 12 days, from October 19 to October 30. Philadelphia has no fixed start because Pennsylvania counties set their own, and in-person mail-ballot services end October 27.

County variation shows up in locations and hours. South Carolina’s election commission says county voter registration offices set early voting centers, which they publish months ahead. In Florida the statewide window is October 24–31, and county supervisors decide any added days. North Dakota leaves early voting entirely to counties. Voters should check the county election office, not a statewide map, for the nearest site.

Early Voting Start Dates by State 2026: Who Opens When

EARLY VOTING START, STATES AND DC (COUNT BY WINDOW)
Already open by Oct 24   ████████████████████████████████████████░  42
Opens Oct 26-29          ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   3
No early voting          ████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   4
Varies by county         ██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   2

Data source: Ballotpedia, Early Voting Dates 2026 (citing state election offices). Group counts are report calculations; DC is counted with the 44 states that have a fixed start date.

Most voters already can cast ballots. 42 of the 45 jurisdictions with fixed dates had opened early voting by October 24, when Florida, Michigan, New Jersey and New York began. Texas, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut and South Carolina opened on October 19. Louisiana’s window closes first, on October 27. Georgia, Idaho, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and Utah close on October 30, and Washington and Hawaii vote through November 3.

Windows are shortest in Kentucky (3 days), Oklahoma (4) and Louisiana and Maryland (8 each), and longest in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, which opened in September. Early voting does not replace Election Day. In Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire, in-person voting happens on November 3 unless the voter qualifies for an excuse absentee ballot. These rows give the statewide dates behind Midterm Election Dates by County 2026.

Voter Registration Deadlines 2026 by State: What Is Still Open on October 25

REGISTRATION STATUS BY STATE AS OF OCTOBER 25, 2026
Deadline passed             ███████████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  27
Open to Election Day        █████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  21
Open to Oct 31 (NC)         █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   1
No registration (ND)        █░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   1

Data source: Ballotpedia, Voter Registration Deadlines 2026, in-person deadlines for the November 3, 2026 election (citing state election offices). Counts are report calculations; the closed groups sum to 27 states.

27 states have closed registration. 11 of those closed on October 5 (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas). Massachusetts and New York closed on October 24, one day ago. In those states, a voter not on the rolls cannot register for this election, though an existing voter can still check registration status with the state.

21 states and DC let voters register in person through Election Day, and North Carolina allows same-day registration during early voting through October 31. In several of these states the mail and online deadlines already passed, such as California on October 19 and Colorado on October 26 for mail. North Dakota has no voter registration. These deadlines shape Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 more than any county rule.

Mail Ballot Deadlines and Grace Periods 2026: Supreme Court Ruling in Watson v. RNC

STATES ACCEPTING LATE MAIL BALLOTS (POSTMARKED BY ELECTION DAY)
Grace-period states + DC      ██████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░  15
No grace period (receive by)  ███████████████████████████████████░░░░  36

Data source: Supreme Court of the United States, opinion in Watson v. RNC (29 June 2026), as reported by CBS News and Votebeat; Bipartisan Policy Center; R Street Institute. The 36 and 15 bar counts are report calculations (51 jurisdictions).

On June 29, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that states may count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive afterward. The decision upheld a Mississippi law with a 5-day grace period and left 14 states and DC free to keep their own. It did not set one national rule. The Court noted that about 30 states count at least some absentee ballots received late, mostly military and overseas ballots.

Late-arriving ballots are a small share of the total, from 0.1% in West Virginia to 2.5% in California. They can still delay results. R Street named California, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Virginia and Washington as states where counting could continue after November 3. Because states set receipt rules, a voter should read their own state’s deadline and mail early.

Midterm Election Day 2026 Stakes: House, Senate and Governor Races on the Ballot

OFFICES ON THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026 BALLOT
U.S. House seats         ████████████████████████████████████████  435
U.S. Senate seats        ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   35
Governor races           ███░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░   36

Data source: 270toWin, 2026 election seat counts; Ballotpedia coverage of the 2026 elections.

All 435 House seats are up, along with 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships. The Senate total is 33 regular seats plus 2 special elections to fill vacancies. State legislative primaries covered 43 state senates and 45 state houses, so county ballots also carry local and state contests. For turnout history and the races on the ballot, see the US midterm election statistics report on this site.

Ballot contents differ by county because district lines, local offices and ballot measures differ. Two voters in the same state can see different races even though they vote on the same day. This is the main sense in which county matters for Midterm Election Dates by County 2026: the date is fixed, the ballot is not. Sample ballots from the county election office show every contest before voters arrive.

Midterm Election Dates by County 2026 FAQ

When Is the 2026 Midterm Election Date by County?

November 3, 2026 in every county of every state. Early voting and mail voting windows differ by state, and counties set sites and hours inside them.

Do Midterm Election Dates Vary by County in 2026?

No. The primary date, general election date, registration deadline and early voting window are set by the state. Counties choose polling places, early voting locations and hours.

When Does Early Voting Start for the 2026 Midterms?

It started on September 18 in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia. DC opens October 26, Oklahoma October 28 and Kentucky October 29. Alabama, Mississippi and New Hampshire have no no-excuse early voting.

When Does Early Voting End for the 2026 Midterms?

It ends between October 27 in Louisiana and November 3 in states such as Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii and Washington. Texas, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada end October 30.

What Are the 2026 Voter Registration Deadlines by State?

27 states have closed registration. 21 states and DC allow registration through Election Day, and North Carolina through October 31. North Dakota has no registration.

Can I Still Register to Vote in 2026?

Yes, in 21 states, DC and North Carolina. Check your state’s election office for the deadline, ID requirements and where to register in person.

What Were the 2026 Primary Election Dates?

Primaries ran from March 3 in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas to September 15 in Delaware. 15 states held primaries in June.

Can Mail Ballots Arrive After Election Day in 2026?

In 14 states and DC, ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive later and still count. The Supreme Court upheld such rules on June 29, 2026.

How Many Offices Are on the Ballot on November 3, 2026?

All 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships, plus state and local contests that differ by county.

Where Can I Find My County Early Voting Locations in 2026?

County election offices publish sites and hours. South Carolina’s election commission, for example, says counties set early voting centers.

Is Election Day a Federal Holiday in 2026?

No. Election Day is the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and each state sets its own rules for time off to vote.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.