Election Day · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
How to vote in District of Columbia
The deadlines, early voting, mail ballots and ID rules for District of Columbia, and what happens after the polls close. Every fact links to the DC Board of Elections or the law it comes from. Rules change, and courts sometimes change them close to an election, so confirm anything you are relying on with the state.
Checked against official sources on October 7.
Key dates
- Register online by
Tuesday, October 13
Online and mail applications must be received 21 days before the election.
- Register by mail by
Tuesday, October 13
Received, not postmarked.
- Register in person by
Tuesday, November 3
The 21-day deadline does not apply to applications made in person at the Board or a voter registration agency; anyone can also register at a Vote Center during early voting or on Election Day.
- Same-day registration
Yes
Same-day registration at Vote Centers during early voting and on Election Day, with proof of DC residence.
- Early voting
Monday, October 26 to Sunday, November 1
- How early voting works
Early Vote Centers are open every day 8:30 a.m.–7 p.m., and voters can register on the spot.
- Request a mail ballot by
Monday, October 19
Deadline for ballot requests from non-UOCAVA voters (3 DCMR § 720.5); UOCAVA voters by October 31.
- Return your mail ballot by
Tuesday, November 3
Postmarked by Election Day and received by November 13. Ballots dropped at a Vote Center, drop box or the Board's office are due by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
- Election Day polling hours
7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Everyone in line at 8 p.m. may vote.
Voting by mail
- Who can vote by mail
Every voter is mailed a ballot
The Board mails ballots to registered voters (tentatively from September 28). Voters who need a ballot sent elsewhere must request it by October 19.
- Drop boxes
Yes
Drop boxes are open from 11 a.m. on October 9 (tentative) to 8 p.m. on November 3.
- Ballots arriving after Election Day
Yes
Mailed ballots postmarked by November 3 count if received by November 13. Voters may cure mail-ballot problems until November 19.
ID at the polls
- The rule
No ID needed for most voters
No ID for most voters. First-time voters who registered by mail or online may need to show ID with name and current address; same-day registrants must show proof of DC residence.
- What to bring
Most voters don't need ID. If you registered for the first time by mail or online, you may be asked for a photo ID or a recent utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck with your DC address. Registering at the polls requires proof of residence.
When will we know results in District of Columbia?
How fast results come in depends mostly on when the polls close and when election officials are allowed to start on mail ballots. Totals shown on election night are unofficial until the state certifies them.
- Last polls close
8 p.m. Eastern time
Eastern time.
- Mail ballots can be processed from
Monday, October 19
The Board may begin counting votes 15 days before Election Day (D.C. Code § 1-1001.05(a)(4)).
- Mail ballots can be counted from
Monday, October 19
Counting may begin 15 days before; no results may be published before 8 p.m. on Election Day. The final count of mail and special ballots is tentatively November 20.
- Counties finish their count by
DC has no counties; the Board certifies once for the District.
- State certifies results
Wednesday, December 2
Tentative date for certification of results.
- Automatic recount
Less than 1% margin
Free automatic recount for Delegate, Mayor, Council Chairman and members, Attorney General and State Board of Education when the certified margin is under 1% of votes cast for the office, and for initiatives/referenda under 1% (D.C. Code § 1-1001.11(a)(2)–(3)).
- Requested recount
Any candidate may petition for a recount of specified precincts within 7 days after certification (tentatively by December 9), paying an estimated cost per precinct up front.
D.C. Code § 1-1001.11(a)(1).
- Runoff
No runoff — the candidate with the most votes wins
No runoff; ranked-choice tabulation decides contests with three or more candidates.
- Ranked-choice voting
Yes
Initiative 83 (2024), funded in FY2026: used beginning with the June 2026 primary in eligible contests with three or more candidates; voters may rank up to five. The Board's guide also describes the general-election tabulation for at-large Council seats.
- Votes needed to pass a ballot measure
A simple majority
Simple majority. D.C. Code § 1-1001.16(r): an initiative is ratified, and a referendum disapproves an act, by a majority of the registered qualified electors voting on the measure.
What’s on your ballot
Every contest you will vote on, from Congress to school board, with each candidate’s positions and record and the arguments for and against them.
Confirm this with the official source
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at DC Board of Elections.