2026 Midterms State GuideDistrict of Columbia
Hold on to your SmarTrip cards and cherry blossoms.
Polls are closed
Polls are closed in District of Columbia, and results aren’t finalized yet.
Ballots are still being counted, close races can take days to call, and no result is official until it’s certified.
A prayer for District of Columbia
Good Father, we pray for Washington D.C. as the midterms approach. Thank You for the privilege voters have to cast their vote for the good of their community. Sharpen their attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
Read the whole prayerUpdated
Hi! It’s me, Shadrach. Apparently, I’m your civic guide today. If you’ve been complaining about how things are going (and I’ve heard you... the walls are thin), this guide will help you feel informed and able to vote in this year’s midterms. Now, hold on to your SmarTrip cards and cherry blossoms, and let’s get into it.
District of Columbia at a glance
District of Columbia votes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, for Mayor, Delegate to the House, U.S. Shadow Senator, U.S. Shadow Representative and one statewide ballot measure.
- Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Voter registration
- Oct. 13: Voter registration deadline (materials must be received by the Board). After this, register in person at a vote center during early voting or on Election Day
- Mayor
- 3 candidates
- Delegate to the House
- 3 candidates
- U.S. Shadow Senator
- 3 candidates
- U.S. Shadow Representative
- 1 candidate
- Statewide ballot measures
- 1
What happens next
The counting continues
Election-night numbers are unofficial. Mail, provisional, and military ballots are still being counted, so close races can take days to call.
- Nov. 13Deadline for mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 3.
Officials double-check the count
Local election officials review the ballots and the tallies (the canvass). A very close race can go to a recount.
District of Columbia certifies the results
Results become official once the District of Columbia certifies them, usually a few weeks after Election Day.
Winners take office
The new Congress takes office in early January. Governors and other state officials take office on dates set by state law, most of them in January too.
Important dates
- Jun. 16Primaries This date has passed.
- Around Sept. 30Ballots begin going out to all registered voters. This date has passed.
- Oct. 9Drop boxes open (through 8 p.m. Nov. 3). This date has passed.
- Oct. 13Voter registration deadline (materials must be received by the Board). After this, register in person at a vote center during early voting or on Election Day This date has passed.
- Oct. 19Deadline to request an absentee ballot, needed only if you'll be away from your D.C. address during the election. This date has passed.
- Oct. 26 to Nov. 1Early vote centers open 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; same-day registration available. This date has passed.
- Nov. 3Election Day, polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., same-day registration available; deadline for dropping off ballots is 8 p.m. This date has passed.
- Nov. 13Deadline for mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 This date has passed.
What’s at stake
D.C. voters will see a lot of new faces this fall. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) isn't seeking a fourth term, and Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George won the Democratic nomination to replace her. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is retiring after 18 terms, leaving the seat open for the first time in 36 years. Even the ballot is new: it's D.C.'s first general election with ranked-choice voting. Cost of living tops voters' wish list for the next mayor (77%), followed by public safety (73%) and housing (71%). While the Delegate, shadow senator, and shadow representative can't vote on the House floor, they're still D.C.’s megaphone in Congress.
Who’s on your ballot
Tap a race to see the candidates.
- Top prioritiesJaneese Lewis GeorgeDemocrat
- Implementing universal affordable childcare.
- Make utilities more affordable by protecting Washingtonians from Pepco and Washington gas rate hikes, holding AI data centers accountable, increasing access to affordable energy tools, removing barriers to energy assistance for people who need it, and stopping energy scams and exploitation.
- Implement a comprehensive public safety strategy that addresses prevention, intervention, and enforcement.
- Top prioritiesRobert L. GrossD.C. Statehood Green
- Make Washington more affordable by splitting housing vouchers into family and individual tracks and requiring new construction to meet green building standards.
- Treat education reform in Washington, D.C. as a whole-community effort that addresses academic performance, student well-being, and family stability.
- Build a system where the people of Washington, D.C. can clearly understand how their government operates. Using clear timelines, plain-language proposals, and interactive public dashboards, residents will be able to follow ideas from submission to funding to final results.
- Top prioritiesRhonda L. HamiltonIndependent
- Address the root causes of housing instability to assure that DC tax payers and the federal government dollars are not exposed to failed social programming structures surrounding housing displacement, which dominoes into failed public safety, and increased healthcare costs.
- Reverse the challenges across DC's healthcare systems to assure access to comprehensive care models for all of its citizens by raising the standard of care and by investing in preventative, holistic, and patient focused practices.
- Work to address strained community and law enforcement relationships, citizen safety concerns, failed youth advancement investments, and robust gun violence and drug activities with a multi-faceted and crime prevention approach that includes the proper staffing of all government applicable agencies, unbiased enforcement of the law, and community safety initiatives.
- Get to know ’em
Robert WhiteDemocrat - Get to know ’emDenise RosadoRepublican
- Get to know ’em
Kymone FreemanGreen Party
- Get to know ’em
Rob SimmonsRepublican - Get to know ’em
Greg MayeIndependent
Franklin GarciaDemocrat
All U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for election every two years. Find your district here.
- Shadrach’s big picture
D.C. elects one non-voting Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives. The Delegate can vote in committee, introduce legislation, and speak on the floor, but cannot cast a final vote on bills. Voters also elect one shadow representative and one shadow senator who lobby Congress to grant statehood to their district. They have no floor or voting privileges.
Statewide ballot measures
1 to read before you go. Tap one to open it.
This initiative would prohibit the force-feeding of birds to enlarge their livers and ban the commercial sale, distribution, and importation of foie gras (a fancy food product made from the swollen livers of said force-fed birds) and other fattened bird liver products in Washington, D.C.
Voting yessupports prohibiting the force-feeding of birds to enlarge their livers and banning the commercial sale, distribution, and importation of foie gras and other fattened bird liver products in D.C.Voting noopposes this initiative, keeping foie gras and other fattened bird liver products legal to sell, distribute, and import in D.C.
Also on the ballot
Other races District of Columbia voters will decide.
- Other state executive
- School boards
- Municipal government
Whose job is it?
Ten things government does. Tap the office that does each one.
Whose job is it to…
1 of 10
Declare a state of emergency after a hurricane or flood?
Pass it on
Know someone voting in the District of Columbia?
Send them the guide. It takes one tap, and it saves them an evening of arguing in a group chat.
A prayer for the District of Columbia
Good Father, we pray for Washington D.C. as the midterms approach. Thank You for the privilege voters have to cast their vote for the good of their community. Sharpen their attention, help them see the ballot with Your eyes, and help them vote with both conviction and humility.
May candidates campaign with integrity. Remind them that the office is not a mere prize to be won, but a profound responsibility to steward carefully. If they win, surround them with wise counsel and guide them toward decisions that serve their constituents. For those who lose, bring comfort and give them grace for their actions.
Draw near to all Washingtonians tempted toward anxiety, anger, or despair. Give Your ambassadors a settledness in their heavenly citizenship, a confidence in Your unshakeable kingdom, and opportunities to share that kingdom’s peace with their neighbors.
Amen.