Is Election Day a Holiday? What's Open and Closed on Nov. 3, 2026, From Banks and Mail to Schools

Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, is not a federal holiday. Federal offices, post offices, banks and the stock market all keep normal hours. What changes depends on where you live: 11 states treat Election Day as a state holiday, about half the states require employers to give time off to vote, and school districts often close or switch to remote learning because their buildings serve as polling places.

What’s open and closed on Nov. 3

	Status
Federal offices	Open
Post offices and mail delivery	Open, normal delivery
Banks and credit unions	Open (not a Federal Reserve holiday)
Stock market	Open (not an NYSE holiday)
State offices	Closed in states that make it a holiday
Public schools	Varies by district
Stores and restaurants	Open, normal hours in most places

The next federal holiday is Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, when post offices, federal offices and many banks close.

States where Election Day is a holiday

According to the Council of State Governments’ Book of the States, general Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and West Virginia. Other compilations also list Louisiana in even-numbered years, and Kentucky observes it only in presidential election years, so not in 2026.

A state holiday usually means state government offices close and state workers get the day off. It does not require private businesses to close, and in most of these states private employers set their own policies.

Schools

School districts decide on their own, and Election Day closures are common because many schools are polling places. A few examples from 2026-27 calendars:

• New York City: school is in session remotely for all students on Nov. 3; see our NYC public schools calendar.
• Chicago: no school on Nov. 2 or Nov. 3; see the Chicago Public Schools calendar.
• Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, Fla.: no school for students; see the Palm Beach and Miami-Dade calendars.

Check your district’s calendar or our printable school-year calendar guide.

Time off to vote

There is no federal law guaranteeing time off to vote, but about half the states require employers to allow it. Three of the largest states:

• California: up to two hours of paid time at the start or end of a shift if you cannot otherwise get to the polls; you generally must tell your employer at least two working days ahead (Elections Code 14000).
• New York: up to two hours of paid time if you do not have four consecutive hours to vote outside your working hours; notice is due two to 10 working days before Election Day (Election Law 3-110).
• Illinois: up to two hours with advance notice.

Early voting and mail voting make the issue less pressing, since 47 states offer some form of in-person voting before Election Day. If you plan to vote on Nov. 3, check what time polls close in your state.

Why it isn’t a federal holiday

Congress set the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day in 1845, a choice tied to a farming calendar and travel by horse. Bills to make Election Day a federal holiday have been introduced in Congress repeatedly, and none has passed. The day remains a regular workday on the federal calendar; see our 2026 US holiday list for the days that are.

Mark Nov. 3 and your voting plan on our November 2026 printable calendar.