Election Dates
Webpage last updated: September 14, 2023
Election Day
Every two years, a state Primary Election is held 11 weeks before the General Election. The Primary Election is for the purpose of nominating party nominees to be voted for in the General Election to fill a national, state, county, or district office. A General Election is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year.
A governor is elected every four years. The last gubernatorial election was 2022. A president is elected every four years, in a year which is a multiple of four. The next presidential election year is 2024. A Presidential Preference Primary Election is held on the third Tuesday of March.
Election dates for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 19
- Primary Election: August 20
- General Election: November 5
Note:
- Special elections may be called at any time during the year.
- Local elections may also be held throughout the year. Check the Local Elections Database which contain dates as reported by the county for elections (county-specific, municipal, special district, or other local election) scheduled within one county. Contact your county Supervisor of Elections for the most up-to-date information.
For the full Election Dates and Activities Calendar, visit Publications webpage.
Deadline to Register (Book Closing)
Eligible individuals can register to vote at any time. The deadline to register in order to participate in an upcoming election is 29 days before the election. The registration deadlines for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 20
- Primary Election: July 22
- General Election: October 7
Vote-by-Mail Ballot "Send" Deadline
State law requires Supervisors of Elections to send, within the following specified time frames, to voters who already have requests on file:
For absent stateside and overseas uniformed service member and overseas civilian voters (also known as UOCAVA voters), Supervisors of Elections must send the ballots no later than 45 days before an election. The dates for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 3
- Primary Election: July 6
- General Election: September 21
For domestic voters, Supervisors of Elections send the ballots during a 7-day window which is between 40 and 33 days before an election. The dates for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 8 - 15
- Primary Election: July 11 - 18
- General Election: September 26 – October 3
Vote-by-Mail Ballot Request and Return Deadlines
The deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed is no later than 5:00 p.m. (local time) on the 12th day before the election. The ballot will be mailed no later than 2 business days thereafter or no later than the 10th day before election day.
The deadlines to request to mail a vote-by-mail ballot for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 7
- Primary Election: August 8
- General Election: October 24
The deadline for a vote-by-mail ballot to be returned and received is no later than 7:00 p.m. (local time) on Election Day. The ballot must be received by the Supervisor of Elections in the county of registration.
*A 10-day extension exists only for overseas voters for the Presidential Preference Primary and General Election only.
For more information about voting by mail, visit the Division of Elections' webpages Vote-by-Mail and Military and Overseas Citizens Voting.
Early Voting Period
By law, early voting must be held at least for 8 days. The mandatory early voting periods for 2024 are:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 9 - 16
- Primary Election: August 10 - 17
- General Election: October 26 - November 2
Each county Supervisor of Elections may offer more days of early voting from one or more of the following days:
- Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and/or 17
- Primary Election: August 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and/or 18
- General Election: October 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and/or November 3
Check with your county Supervisor of Elections for the additional days of early voting that may be offered in your county. For more information about early voting, visit the Division of Elections' webpage on Early Voting.
