Election Day

American  

noun

1. (in the U.S.) the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on which national elections are held for electors of the president and vice president in those years evenly divisible by four. On even years constituents elect members of the House of Representatives for two-year terms and one third of the Senate for six-year terms.

2. (often lowercase) any day designated for the election of public officials.

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Etymology

Origin of Election Day

First recorded in 1640–50

Example Sentences

Because California postmarks mail-in ballots up to Election Day and allows them a full week to arrive to ensure every single vote — including overseas military personnel — is counted, the process takes time.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

The state also allows people to register to vote and cast ballots provisionally on Election Day, which can add time since county officials must verify voter eligibility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Yet the state allows ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

Jessica Cadigan, a former FBI intelligence analyst who investigated Election Day threats, said FBI headquarters’ command post was critical to her cases.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

At some point that morning, Barack went off to play basketball with Craig and some friends at a nearby gym, which had become a kind of Election Day custom.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama