Is Election Day 2026 a federal holiday? Here’s what open and closed on November 3

No, Election Day is not a federal holiday. Therefore, banks, stock exchanges, postal services, and most businesses will be working on November 3, when Americans vote in the last midterm elections of the second term of President Donald Trump.

What is open on Election Day?

Stock exchanges (New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ), bond markets, and most banks will work according to their usual schedule. 

The postal service will be working and delivering mail; UPS and FedEx will also be working, delivering and picking up packages and operating stores as usual. Major chains of supermarkets and other shops will be working.

What states have a holiday on Election Day?

Each state, not the federal government, regulates the status of Election Day. Five states, including Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia, have a public holiday on Election Day.

In which states must employers allow paid time off to vote?

There are fifteen states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, that mandate paid time off to vote on Election Day even though the day is not a public holiday in any of these states. 

Ohio recognizes Election Day as a holiday from noon to 5:30 p.m., and employers are required to allow an appropriate amount of time off to vote, but state government operations remain open.