Election Dates for 2020

Election Day

A Presidential Primary Election is held on the third Tuesday of March in a presidential election year. The Primary Election is held 10 weeks before the General Election for purposes 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 in November of every even-numbered year. The election dates for 2020 are:

Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 17

Primary Election: August 25

General Election: November 3

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.

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 2020 are:

Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 18*

Primary Election: July 27

General Election: October 5

*Federal holiday moves the deadline to the next business day

Vote-by-Mail Ballot 'Send' Deadline

For vote-by-mail ballot requests on record, state law requires that the ballots be sent during specified timeframes.

For absent stateside and overseas uniformed service member and overseas civilian voters (also known as UOCAVA voters), Supervisors of Elections send the ballots no later than 45 days before an election. The send periods for 2020 are:

Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 1

Primary Election: July 11

General Election: September 19

For domestic voters, Supervisors of Elections send the ballots during a 7-day window between 35 and 28 days before an election. The send periods for 2020 are:

Presidential Preference Primary Election: February 11 – 18

Primary Election: July 21 - July 28

General Election: September 29 – October 6

Early Voting Period

By law, early voting must be held at least for 8 days. The mandatory early voting periods for 2020 are:

Presidential Preference Primary Election: March 7 – 14

Primary Election: August 15 – 22

General Election: October 24 – 31

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 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 15

Primary Election: August 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 23

General Election: October 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and November 1

Check with your county Supervisor of Elections for the additional days of early voting that may be offered in your county.