Is Election Day a Federal Holiday? What's Open and Closed on Nov 3, 2026

By Eoin Villarin, 2026-11-02

Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is not a federal holiday. Here is what is open and closed, which states give the day off, and your time-off-to-vote rights.

No. Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is not a federal holiday. It is not one of the 11 legal public holidays listed in federal law, and it does not appear on the Office of Personnel Management's 2026 federal holiday schedule. I also found no executive order or OPM notice giving federal employees the day off.

That means most of the country runs as usual tomorrow. Post offices, banks and stock markets are open. A handful of states treat Election Day as a state holiday, and school calendars vary by district.

The facts below come from the US Code, OPM, the Federal Reserve, the stock exchanges, USPS and state government sites, all linked inline.

Election Day 2026 at a glance

Is Election Day a federal holiday?

Federal holidays are set by Congress in 5 U.S.C. 6103. The law lists 11 days: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Election Day is not on the list.

OPM's 2026 federal holiday schedule matches it. The only federal holidays in November 2026 are Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, and Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26. The Congressional Research Service makes the same point in its Election Day FAQ, updated October 26, 2026: Election Day is not a federal holiday, though several states recognize it as a state holiday.

Do federal employees get November 3, 2026 off?

Not as a holiday. I checked OPM's holiday page and recent coverage and found no executive order or OPM announcement closing agencies or giving federal employees the day off on November 3, 2026.

Time off to vote is handled separately. Federal News Network reported that 2025 OPM guidance lets agencies grant "limited amounts of administrative leave," generally no more than three hours, when an employee's schedule would otherwise leave no reasonable opportunity to vote. Your agency HR office has the details.

Why is Election Day the Tuesday after the first Monday in November?

The date goes back to a law Congress passed on January 23, 1845. According to the CRS report, that act set "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November" as the day states choose presidential electors, and the first presidential election held on a single national date was November 7, 1848.

Congress applied the same day to House elections in an act of February 2, 1872, starting with the 1876 election. Today that rule sits in 2 U.S.C. 7, which says the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, in every even-numbered year, "is established as the day for the election." For presidential electors, 3 U.S.C. 1, rewritten by the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, says electors are appointed "on election day."

The "Tuesday after the first Monday" wording means Election Day always falls between November 2 and November 8. In 2026, the first Monday is November 2, so Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Are there bills to make Election Day a federal holiday?

Several have been introduced. None has become law, since Election Day is still missing from 5 U.S.C. 6103. Three examples, from the bill texts:

• Election Day Act (H.R. 154, 119th Congress). Introduced January 3, 2025 by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick with Rep. Dingell, it would add "Election Day" to the federal holiday list after Columbus Day. It was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
• Election Day Holiday Act of 2024 (H.R. 7329, 118th Congress). Introduced February 13, 2024 by Rep. Anna Eshoo with 20 cosponsors, it proposed the same change. It was referred to committee and the Congress ended without it becoming law.
• Democracy Day Act of 2005 (H.R. 63, 109th Congress). Introduced January 4, 2005 by Rep. John Conyers, it would have treated Election Day like a legal public holiday for federal employment starting in 2008. It was not enacted.

Which states make Election Day a holiday in 2026?

Some states write Election Day into their own holiday laws or state employee calendars. These are the ones I could confirm from official state sources for 2026:

• Delaware: state law lists "the day of the General Election as it biennially occurs" as a legal holiday (1 Del. C. 501).
• Hawaii: General Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, is on the state's 2026 holiday schedule.
• Maryland: the Comptroller lists Election Day, November 3, among the 2026 state holidays when its offices close.
• Montana: "state general election day" is a legal holiday under MCA 1-1-216.
• New Jersey: Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, is on the state's 2026 holiday list.
• Virginia: Election Day is a legal holiday under Va. Code 2.2-3300.
• New York (partly): Election Day is on the state's 2026 legal holiday calendar, but for state workers it is a floating holiday that applies only to certain bargaining units.

I left out any state I could not confirm from an official page, so treat this as a confirmed minimum, not a complete list.

A state holiday mostly affects state government. Private employers are not required to close, and federal offices, post offices and banks keep their normal schedules. Hawaii's own schedule notes that federal and banking holidays may differ.

What is open and closed on Election Day?

• Post offices: open, with regular mail delivery. In an October 20, 2026 release, USPS called it "business as usual" for the election. If you mail a ballot on Election Day, USPS says you can ask for a free manual postmark at the retail counter so the date matches the day you mailed it.
• Banks: open. November 3 is not on the Federal Reserve's 2026 holiday schedule. One wrinkle: New York's banking regulator lists Election Day as a day New York banks may close, while noting that it and the New York Fed stay open. Check your branch if you need in-person service.
• Stock markets: open. Neither the NYSE nor Nasdaq lists November 3 as a holiday. Their next closure is Thanksgiving, November 26, with an early 1:00 p.m. ET close on November 27.
• Schools: it varies. Each district sets its own calendar, and some close because their buildings serve as polling places.
• Government offices: federal offices are open. State offices may close in the holiday states listed above, and local offices vary.

Does my employer have to give me time off to vote?

There is no federal law requiring private employers to give workers time off to vote. It depends on your state. In its September 21, 2026 guide for employers, Jackson Lewis says 28 states and the District of Columbia impose some form of voting leave requirement.

The rules differ by state, including whether the time is paid, whether you must ask in advance and how many hours apply. Jackson Lewis also notes that Connecticut's temporary requirement expired in 2024. Your state labor department can confirm what applies to you.

If you still need to check your polling place, hours or ID rules, my step-by-step guide to voting in the 2026 midterms covers each step.

Running a business on Election Day: hours and your online listings

Because Election Day is not a federal holiday, most customers will expect normal hours. If you are closing early, opening late or giving staff time to vote, say so where people look:

• Google Business Profile: use the Special hours setting for November 3. Your regular hours must be set to "Open with main hours" for special hours to show.
• Your website: update the hours on your contact page and footer, plus a short banner if orders or pickups are affected.
• Booking and ordering tools: block out any slots you will not be staffing so customers do not book times you cannot honor.

In the holiday states above, state offices may be closed, so plan permit or licensing errands for another day.

Frequently asked questions

Is Election Day 2026 a paid holiday for federal employees?

No. Election Day is not one of the 11 federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103, and I found no executive order giving federal workers November 3, 2026 off. Agencies may grant limited leave to vote in some cases.

Is the post office open on Election Day?

Yes. Post offices are open and mail is delivered on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. You can ask for a free manual postmark at the counter when mailing a ballot.

Are banks closed on Election Day?

Generally no. November 3 is not a Federal Reserve holiday, so banks operate normally. New York rules allow banks there to close, so New Yorkers should confirm branch hours.

Is the stock market open on November 3, 2026?

Yes. NYSE and Nasdaq both trade regular hours on Election Day. Their next holiday is Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 26.

Why are some schools closed on Election Day?

Some schools serve as polling places, and some districts close rather than run classes alongside voting. Your district's calendar has the answer.

Could Election Day become a federal holiday?

Only if Congress passes a law and the president signs it. Bills such as the Election Day Act (H.R. 154) have been introduced, but none has been enacted.

The bottom line

Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is not a federal holiday. Post offices, banks and stock markets are open, federal offices are open, and whether you get time off depends on your state and your employer. A few states, including Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey and Virginia, treat it as a state holiday.

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