Washington DC 2026 midterm election: Key deadlines, early voting dates, how to register

WASHINGTON - With early voting set to begin next week, here is everything you need to know to cast your vote in Washington D.C.'s 2026 general election.

Registering to vote:

In order to register to vote in D.C. elections, citizens must meet the following criteria:

• Be a resident of D.C. who has lived in the city for at least 30 days immediately prior to the election
• Not claim voting residence or the right to vote in another U.S. state or territory
• Be at least 16 years old. (You may pre-register to vote if you are at least 16 years old. You may vote in a primary election if you are at least 17 years old and you will be at least 18 years old by the next general election. You may vote in a general or special election if you are at least 18 years old)
• Have not been found legally incompetent to vote in court

While non-U.S. citizens can vote for local offices – such as mayor, attorney general, D.C. city council, state board of education, advisory neighborhood commissions and ballot initiatives – they cannot vote for any federal offices, such as President, Vice President, or U.S. House of Representatives.

In order to register, you must submit a registration application by mail or electronically. You will also be required to provide identification with your name and proof of address, such as:

• Current and valid District of Columbia DMV issued ID
• Student housing statement/tuition bill
• Homeless shelter occupancy statement
• Lease
• Other government document with your name and address

You may also provide the following as proof of address if the issue date is within 90 days of election day:

• Government check or paycheck
• Bank statement
• Current utility bill

If you submit your application in person at the District of Columbia Board of Elections office or another voter registration agency, your application should be received no later than the day before the start of the early voting period (Oct. 26 for the 2026 midterms).

You can check your voter registration status on the D.C. Board of Elections website.

Same-day registration

If you are not registered to vote, you may same-day register at any voting center on election day, as long as you have brought acceptable proof of residence. You will also be asked to complete a registration update form.

If you request a mail ballot packet, instructions on how to correctly fill them out and submit them can be found on the board of elections website. If you do not provide acceptable proof of residence, you will have to vote using a special ballot. You will then have until Thursday, Nov. 5, to present acceptable proof of residence to the D.C. Board of Elections.

Early voting:

Designated early voting centers will be open from Monday, Oct. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 1, from 8:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. every day, including Saturday and Sunday. A full list of voting centers can be found on the D.C. Board of Elections website. You can vote at any voting center, regardless of your address.

Voting on election day:

While you can vote at any address on election day, you can find the voting center nearest to you by using the board of elections' online locator tool.

Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polling places opening at 7 a.m. and closing at 8 p.m. If you are in line by 8 p.m., you can still vote.

All ballots sent via mail must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 3, and received by Friday, Nov. 13, to be counted. A full list of mail ballot drop box locations can be found on the board of elections website.

When to expect results?:

Votes will begin being tallied after polls close on election day, and live results will be shared as they are counted. The D.C. Board of Elections will continue to update totals for ballots received until Friday, Nov. 13. Official election results are tentatively scheduled to be certified on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

Who is on the ballot?:

If you would like to see a sample copy of your ballot ahead of election day, you can find one using the voter lookup on the board of elections website.

U.S. House of Representatives

Eleanor Holmes Norton is currently serving on the District of Columbia's non-voting House seat. She will not be running for re-election. Robert White is the Democratic nominee, competing with Republican Denise Rosado and Kymone Freeman as the D.C. Statehood Green party candidate.

Mayor

With Mayor Muriel Bowser's decision not to run for re-election, the position has opened to three candidates who will be on the ballot come election day. Janeese Lewis George won the Democratic primary in June and is heavily favored in the overwhelmingly blue city. She will be up against Robert L. Gross of the D.C. Statehood Green party and Rhonda Hamilton, running as an Independent.

Initiative 86

There will be one ballot initiative for D.C.'s midterm election this year. Initiative Measure No. 86 would prohibit the force-feeding of birds – a practice commonly used in the manufacturing of foie gras. In addition to the practice being banned, the sale and distribution of foie gras products would also be banned. The new law would be enforced by the Department of Energy and Environment and would result in civil penalties for infractions.

Attorney General

Brian Schwalb will defend his incumbency as the attorney general for D.C. The Democratic candidate has served in the opposition since January 2023. He is challenged by Republican candidate, Manuel Rivera.

Council of the District of Columbia

In addition to individual candidates running to represent D.C.'s various wards (namely Ward 1, Ward 3, Ward 5 and Ward 6), all ballots will include voting options for the chair of the council, and an at-large council member. The Democratic and incumbent candidate for chair, Phil Mendelson, has served in the position since 2012. He will be challenged by Republican candidate Abi-Ananiah Prudent and John C. Cheecks, running as an Independent. Competing for the at-large member seat will be Democratic candidate Oye Owolewa, Republican candidate Darrell Green, D.C. Statehood Green candidate Darryl Moch and Elissa Silverman, running as an Independent.

U.S. Shadow Senator and U.S. Shadow Representative

While D.C.'s shadow congresspersons lack congressional voting power, they are officials that seek recognition for the city and its citizens. Longtime incumbent Shadow Senator, Paul Strauss (D), will defend his position from Republican candidate Robert Simmons. The Shadow Representative role will be contested by Democratic candidate Franklin Garcia and Republican candidate Ciprian Ivanof.

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