Is Election Day 2026 a federal holiday in the US? These states give workers a day off on November 3

Election Day 2026 falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, across the United States and it is not a federal holiday for the Americans. The US will observe next federal holiday on Veterans Day, which is observed on November 11, Wednesday. For Election Day to be recognized as a federal holiday, Congress would have to approve a bill, which would go to the president’s desk to be signed into law. In the past, the Congress has tried to make a law establishing Election Day as a holiday as recently as 2024, but the bill died shortly after it was introduced.

The United States recognizes 11 annual federal holidays (one more, Inauguration Day, is recognized in the Washington, D.C. area every four years), and Election Day is not one of them.

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Why election day was never established as a national holiday?

According to Masslive, election Day has never been established as a national holiday because voter turnout has not been consistently high enough to drive legislative action. According to Statista, 17.8% of U.S. adults who were registered to vote in the 2024 presidential election gave scheduling conflicts as the key reason why they didn't step out to vote.

People who support Election Day for making it a federal holiday said that it could boost voter percentage. Those against the move say it could cause longer lines at the polls, and hurt early voting efforts, according to CBS 8.

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Despite Congress’s failed attempts to make Election Day a federal holiday, some companies have launched efforts to give workers paid time off to vote. More than 2,000 companies have partnered with Time To Vote to give time off for employees to vote or to volunteer at the polls.

According to CBS 8, from 2016 through 2022, Patagonia gave employees a day off on Election Day. And in 2024, Patagonia closed stores and gave employees paid time off to vote early. Walmart and Starbucks offered employees time off to vote beginning with the 2020 elections, according to The Associated Press.

Which states give a holiday on election Day?

In some states, Election Day in the US is considered a state holiday. Illinois, West Virginia, Maryland, Hawaii and New York have classified Election Day as a state holiday and mandated employers to give time off for voting, according to CBS 8.

In Montana and Indiana, Election Day is also a state holiday and state offices are closed, but those states don’t require companies to give paid time off for voting. Colorado and California are two states that don’t consider Election Day a state holiday but do require employers to pay their employees up to two hours if they need to take time off to head to the polls.

US elections held on Tuesday

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Americans will cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Congress. Democrats are trying to take control of the U.S. Senate in the midterms. Currently, the Senate has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the latter.

Election Day falls on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. For many Americans, voting may mean early mornings, longer lunch breaks or even rushed drives to the polls after work.