With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, voters are tracking a busy calendar of key dates that will shape the battle for control of Congress, governorships, and statehouses.
The general elections will be held on Nov. 3. On that day, voters nationwide will decide all 435 House seats, 33 Senate seats, and 36 governors, as well as thousands of state and local officials.
Before November, voters will first weigh in during the primary season, when they will choose a candidate from each party to vote on in November.
March
The primary season unofficially begins in March and will last until September before the general election in November, with Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas holding primaries on March 3. Mississippi and Illinois will also hold primaries on March 10 and March 17, respectively.
May
There will be no primaries in April, but elections will pick back up in May with Indiana and Ohio holding primaries on May 5. Michigan will hold a special election on the same day, and voters will elect a state senator for the 35th Senate district, which will decide which party controls the chamber.
On May 12, Nebraska and West Virginia will hold primary elections, and North Carolina will have Republican and Democratic runoff elections if no candidate receives a majority.
Later that same week, Louisiana will hold its primary elections on May 16.
Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania will hold primaries on May 19. Texas will hold its possible runoff elections on May 26.
June
Most states will hold primaries throughout June. On June 2, California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota will hold primaries.
On June 9, Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina will hold their primaries.
Alabama and Georgia will hold runoff elections on June 16, if necessary, while Oklahoma and Virginia will hold primaries the same day.
On June 23, Maryland, New York, and Utah will hold their primaries, and South Carolina will hold runoffs if needed.
July
July is a quiet month for the 2026 midterm elections because there are no primary elections scheduled, with the only notable event being possible runoff elections in South Dakota on July 28.
August
Primary elections will take up again in August, with Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Washington holding their primaries on Aug. 4.
Tennessee and Hawaii will hold their primaries on Aug. 6 and 8, respectively.
On Aug. 11, Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wisconsin will vote on candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties, choosing one from each to move forward to the general election.
One week later, Alaska, Florida, and Wyoming will hold their primary elections on Aug. 18.
September
September will start with the Massachusetts primary on Sept. 1, followed by New Hampshire and Rhode Island on Sept. 8.
Delaware will hold its primary elections the following week on Sept. 15.
October
The Federal Election Commission pre-general election reporting deadline is Oct. 14.
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The deadline is a critical compliance date for political committees, including House and Senate candidate committees, PACs, and party committees. It requires the disclosure of all financial activity, including contributions received and expenditures made.
November
The general election will be held on Nov. 3, and voters can find their polling places on their state’s board of elections website.