Voting in
District of Columbia

DCUpdated February 1, 2026

Your Voting Cheat Sheet

Washington DC offers same-day voter registration, no-excuse absentee voting, and early voting. No photo ID is required at the polls. The District also offers automatic voter registration through the DMV.

Online Reg AvailableSame-Day RegNo-Excuse AbsenteeNo ID Required

Upcoming Elections in District of Columbia

General

2026 Federal Midterm General Election

Nationwide

The 2026 midterm general election determines control of Congress and numerous governorships. All 435 U.S. House seats, approximately 33-34 U.S. Senate seats, and 36 governorships are on the ballot.

Key Races
  • U.S. Senate (33-34 seats)
  • U.S. House of Representatives (all 435 seats)
  • Gubernatorial races (36 states)
  • +3 more
249 days away

Registration Deadlines

228 days until earliest deadline
OnlineOctober 13, 2026
By MailOctober 13, 2026
In PersonNovember 3, 2026
Register Now

Quick Facts

Online Registration
Yes
Same-Day Registration
Yes
Voter ID Required
No
No-Excuse Absentee
Yes

Voter ID Requirements

Washington DC does not require photo ID to vote. Voters state their name and address at the polling place, but no identification document is required.

Early Voting

StartsOctober 19, 2026
EndsNovember 1, 2026

Absentee / Mail-In Voting

No-Excuse Absentee Yes
Request DeadlineOctober 27, 2026
Return DeadlineNovember 3, 2026

Election Day Polling Hours

7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Election Day: November 3, 2026

Key Facts

  • Same-day voter registration is available at all voting locations through Election Day
  • No photo ID is required to vote
  • No-excuse absentee voting is available to all registered voters
  • Early voting runs for about two weeks before Election Day
  • DC offers automatic voter registration through the DMV

Find Your Polling Place

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