When is the California, United States, midterm elections 2026?

Polling day is 2026-11-03 (officially set).

When will the final result of the U.S. House race be official?

Expected between 2026-12-04T08:00:00Z and 2026-12-12T07:59:59Z (UTC), confidence announced. State certification: counties send their complete returns to the SoS "within 31 days of the election" (§ 15375(a)), by 4 Dec 2026, and the Secretary of State "shall prepare, certify, and file a statement of vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election" (Elections Code § 15501(b)) — by Friday 11 Dec 2026 per the SoS 2026 General Election Calendar (item 118), which also lists certificates of election on that date. The window closes at the end of 11 Dec, Pacific time. Precedent: the SoS certified the 8 Nov 2022 general election on 16 Dec 2022, the 38th day (Certificate of the Secretary of State, 2022 Statement of Vote; SoS release of 16 Dec 2022), and the 4 Nov 2025 statewide special election on 12 Dec 2025, also the 38th day. California has no automatic recount (SoS Recounts FAQ); any voter may request one — for a district covering more than one county, within five calendar days beginning on the 31st day after the election (§ 15620(b)); for a single-county district, within five calendar days after the county completes its canvass (§ 15620(a)). An election contest must be filed within 30 days after the declaration of the result in most cases (§ 16401(d); 20 days for a tie).

When will the final result of the Governor race be official?

Expected between 2026-12-04T08:00:00Z and 2026-12-12T07:59:59Z (UTC), confidence announced. State certification: counties send their complete returns to the SoS "within 31 days of the election" (§ 15375(a)), by 4 Dec 2026, and the Secretary of State "shall prepare, certify, and file a statement of vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election" (Elections Code § 15501(b)) — by Friday 11 Dec 2026 per the SoS 2026 General Election Calendar (item 118), which also lists certificates of election on that date. The window closes at the end of 11 Dec, Pacific time. Precedent: the SoS certified the 8 Nov 2022 general election on 16 Dec 2022, the 38th day (Certificate of the Secretary of State, 2022 Statement of Vote; SoS release of 16 Dec 2022), and the 4 Nov 2025 statewide special election on 12 Dec 2025, also the 38th day. California has no automatic recount (SoS Recounts FAQ); any voter may request one — for a statewide office, with the SoS within five calendar days beginning on the 31st day after the election (§ 15621(a)), i.e. 4–8 Dec 2026. An election contest must be filed within 30 days after the declaration of the result in most cases (§ 16401(d); 20 days for a tie).

Where are the official U.S. House results?

No single-election results page is recorded yet. The counting authority is California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/).

Where are the official Governor results?

No single-election results page is recorded yet. The counting authority is California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/).

Calendar › United States › United States midterm elections 2026

California, United States, midterm elections 2026

Name: California, United States, midterm elections 2026
Start: 2026-11-03
Location: United States

Polling day Tue, 3 Nov 2026. 2 races. Counted by California Secretary of State. Times are Los Angeles time; hover for UTC.

U.S. House, Governor Scheduled

4–11 Dec 2026

Final result window, set by the law or the authority. Treat as final after Fri 11 Dec, 23:59 Los Angeles time.

Polls close: Tue 3 Nov, 20:00
First count by: Wed 4 Nov, 08:00
Counted by: California Secretary of State
Results page: No single-election results page yet.
Authority site: sos.ca.gov

U.S. House 52 seats

2 Nov16 Nov30 Nov

Election-night count

3–4 NovElection-night count: Tue 3 Nov, 20:00 → Wed 4 Nov, 08:00, estimate.

Intermediate count

5 Nov – 3 DecIntermediate count: Thu 5 Nov, 00:00 → Thu 3 Dec, 23:59, announced.

Final result

4–11 DecFinal result: Fri 4 Dec, 00:00 → Fri 11 Dec, 23:59, announced.

announced set by law or the authorityprecedent from the last electionestimate our estimateLos Angeles time. Polls close in 40 days.

Stage windows and their sources 3 stages, each cited

Election-night count
Tue 3 Nov, 20:00 → Wed 4 Nov, 08:00
estimate

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Elections Code § 14212; voters in line at 8 p.m. may still vote, § 14401), so polls close at 8:00 PM PST = 04:00 UTC on 4 Nov. Vote-by-mail results may not be released before the polls close (§ 15101); from 8 p.m. counties run the semifinal official canvass "without adjournment until all precincts are accounted for" (§ 15150) and report to the SoS at least every two hours (SoS 2026 General Election Calendar, item 101). The window closes at 8:00 AM PST on 4 Nov: an estimate of when the overnight semifinal count is reported, not a published time. It is far from complete: the SoS notes that vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by election day and received within seven days (§ 3020(b), to 10 Nov 2026), provisional and same-day-registration ballots are counted during the official canvass (SoS "Vote Counting Process" page), so totals keep changing for weeks.
Intermediate count
Thu 5 Nov, 00:00 → Thu 3 Dec, 23:59
announced

County official canvass. It must begin no later than the Thursday after the election, 5 Nov 2026 (SoS 2026 General Election Calendar, item 103, §§ 15301, 15372); the elections official "shall prepare a certified statement of the results of the election and submit it to the governing body within 30 days of the election" (Elections Code § 15372(a), as amended by SB 851, eff. 1 Oct 2025) — by 3 Dec 2026 (E+30) per the calendar. Counties post updated results at least twice a week during the canvass (§ 15305). The window opens at the start of 5 Nov and closes at the end of 3 Dec, Pacific time.
Final result
Fri 4 Dec, 00:00 → Fri 11 Dec, 23:59
announced

State certification: counties send their complete returns to the SoS "within 31 days of the election" (§ 15375(a)), by 4 Dec 2026, and the Secretary of State "shall prepare, certify, and file a statement of vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election" (Elections Code § 15501(b)) — by Friday 11 Dec 2026 per the SoS 2026 General Election Calendar (item 118), which also lists certificates of election on that date. The window closes at the end of 11 Dec, Pacific time. Precedent: the SoS certified the 8 Nov 2022 general election on 16 Dec 2022, the 38th day (Certificate of the Secretary of State, 2022 Statement of Vote; SoS release of 16 Dec 2022), and the 4 Nov 2025 statewide special election on 12 Dec 2025, also the 38th day. California has no automatic recount (SoS Recounts FAQ); any voter may request one — for a district covering more than one county, within five calendar days beginning on the 31st day after the election (§ 15620(b)); for a single-county district, within five calendar days after the county completes its canvass (§ 15620(a)). An election contest must be filed within 30 days after the declaration of the result in most cases (§ 16401(d); 20 days for a tie).

Results sources 5 pages, 0 can answer a results question

URL	Role	Kind	Can answer a results question	Last check
electionresults.sos.ca.gov	results-live	results index	no (results host, but its root lists many elections)	not checked yet
sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections/statewide-election-results	results-final	results index	no (results section without an election code)	not checked yet
elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-primary/election-guide/section-07-general-election-calendar.pdf	timetable	other	no (election page without a results marker)	not checked yet
sos.ca.gov/elections/california-redistricting	see-also	other	no (no election or results marker)	not checked yet
sos.ca.gov	authority-home	emb home	no (site root: cannot answer a results question)	not checked yet

Governor 1 seats

2 Nov16 Nov30 Nov

Election-night count

3–4 NovElection-night count: Tue 3 Nov, 20:00 → Wed 4 Nov, 08:00, estimate.

Intermediate count

5 Nov – 3 DecIntermediate count: Thu 5 Nov, 00:00 → Thu 3 Dec, 23:59, announced.

Final result

4–11 DecFinal result: Fri 4 Dec, 00:00 → Fri 11 Dec, 23:59, announced.

announced set by law or the authorityprecedent from the last electionestimate our estimateLos Angeles time. Polls close in 40 days.

Stage windows and their sources 3 stages, each cited

Election-night count
Tue 3 Nov, 20:00 → Wed 4 Nov, 08:00
estimate

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Elections Code § 14212; voters in line at 8 p.m. may still vote, § 14401), so polls close at 8:00 PM PST = 04:00 UTC on 4 Nov. Vote-by-mail results may not be released before the polls close (§ 15101); from 8 p.m. counties run the semifinal official canvass "without adjournment until all precincts are accounted for" (§ 15150) and report to the SoS at least every two hours (SoS 2026 General Election Calendar, item 101). The window closes at 8:00 AM PST on 4 Nov: an estimate of when the overnight semifinal count is reported, not a published time. It is far from complete: the SoS notes that vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by election day and received within seven days (§ 3020(b), to 10 Nov 2026), provisional and same-day-registration ballots are counted during the official canvass (SoS "Vote Counting Process" page), so totals keep changing for weeks.
Intermediate count
Thu 5 Nov, 00:00 → Thu 3 Dec, 23:59
announced

County official canvass. It must begin no later than the Thursday after the election, 5 Nov 2026 (SoS 2026 General Election Calendar, item 103, §§ 15301, 15372); the elections official "shall prepare a certified statement of the results of the election and submit it to the governing body within 30 days of the election" (Elections Code § 15372(a), as amended by SB 851, eff. 1 Oct 2025) — by 3 Dec 2026 (E+30) per the calendar. Counties post updated results at least twice a week during the canvass (§ 15305). The window opens at the start of 5 Nov and closes at the end of 3 Dec, Pacific time.
Final result
Fri 4 Dec, 00:00 → Fri 11 Dec, 23:59
announced

State certification: counties send their complete returns to the SoS "within 31 days of the election" (§ 15375(a)), by 4 Dec 2026, and the Secretary of State "shall prepare, certify, and file a statement of vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election" (Elections Code § 15501(b)) — by Friday 11 Dec 2026 per the SoS 2026 General Election Calendar (item 118), which also lists certificates of election on that date. The window closes at the end of 11 Dec, Pacific time. Precedent: the SoS certified the 8 Nov 2022 general election on 16 Dec 2022, the 38th day (Certificate of the Secretary of State, 2022 Statement of Vote; SoS release of 16 Dec 2022), and the 4 Nov 2025 statewide special election on 12 Dec 2025, also the 38th day. California has no automatic recount (SoS Recounts FAQ); any voter may request one — for a statewide office, with the SoS within five calendar days beginning on the 31st day after the election (§ 15621(a)), i.e. 4–8 Dec 2026. An election contest must be filed within 30 days after the declaration of the result in most cases (§ 16401(d); 20 days for a tie).

Results sources 4 pages, 0 can answer a results question

URL	Role	Kind	Can answer a results question	Last check
electionresults.sos.ca.gov	results-live	results index	no (results host, but its root lists many elections)	not checked yet
sos.ca.gov/elections/prior-elections/statewide-election-results	results-final	results index	no (results section without an election code)	not checked yet
elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2026-primary/election-guide/section-07-general-election-calendar.pdf	timetable	other	no (election page without a results marker)	not checked yet
sos.ca.gov	authority-home	emb home	no (site root: cannot answer a results question)	not checked yet

Cite, embed, correct

Election Index, “California, United States, midterm elections 2026”, https://electionindex.org/election/us-midterms-2026-ca, dataset 2026-09-25.bd0b93be. CC BY 4.0.

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Provenance: researcher agent 2026-09-25: California SoS November 3, 2026, General Election Calendar (rev. 24 Sep 2026) and Key Dates page; Governor's proclamation and SoS Certified List of Candidates (27 Aug 2026); SoS California Redistricting page (Proposition 50); California Elections Code §§ 3020, 14212, 15150, 15372, 15375, 15501, 15620, 15621, 16401; SoS 2022 and 2025 Statement of Vote certificates (CC BY 4.0 (Election Index)). Last verified 2026-09-25.

Questions and answers

When is the California, United States, midterm elections 2026?: Polling day is 2026-11-03 (officially set).
When will the final result of the U.S. House race be official?: Expected between 2026-12-04T08:00:00Z and 2026-12-12T07:59:59Z (UTC), confidence announced. State certification: counties send their complete returns to the SoS "within 31 days of the election" (§ 15375(a)), by 4 Dec 2026, and the Secretary of State "shall prepare, certify, and file a statement of vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election" (Elections Code § 15501(b)) — by Friday 11 Dec 2026 per the SoS 2026 General Election Calendar (item 118), which also lists certificates of election on that date. The window closes at the end of 11 Dec, Pacific time. Precedent: the SoS certified the 8 Nov 2022 general election on 16 Dec 2022, the 38th day (Certificate of the Secretary of State, 2022 Statement of Vote; SoS release of 16 Dec 2022), and the 4 Nov 2025 statewide special election on 12 Dec 2025, also the 38th day. California has no automatic recount (SoS Recounts FAQ); any voter may request one — for a district covering more than one county, within five calendar days beginning on the 31st day after the election (§ 15620(b)); for a single-county district, within five calendar days after the county completes its canvass (§ 15620(a)). An election contest must be filed within 30 days after the declaration of the result in most cases (§ 16401(d); 20 days for a tie).
When will the final result of the Governor race be official?: Expected between 2026-12-04T08:00:00Z and 2026-12-12T07:59:59Z (UTC), confidence announced. State certification: counties send their complete returns to the SoS "within 31 days of the election" (§ 15375(a)), by 4 Dec 2026, and the Secretary of State "shall prepare, certify, and file a statement of vote from the compiled results no later than the 38th day after the election" (Elections Code § 15501(b)) — by Friday 11 Dec 2026 per the SoS 2026 General Election Calendar (item 118), which also lists certificates of election on that date. The window closes at the end of 11 Dec, Pacific time. Precedent: the SoS certified the 8 Nov 2022 general election on 16 Dec 2022, the 38th day (Certificate of the Secretary of State, 2022 Statement of Vote; SoS release of 16 Dec 2022), and the 4 Nov 2025 statewide special election on 12 Dec 2025, also the 38th day. California has no automatic recount (SoS Recounts FAQ); any voter may request one — for a statewide office, with the SoS within five calendar days beginning on the 31st day after the election (§ 15621(a)), i.e. 4–8 Dec 2026. An election contest must be filed within 30 days after the declaration of the result in most cases (§ 16401(d); 20 days for a tie).
Where are the official U.S. House results?: No single-election results page is recorded yet. The counting authority is California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/).
Where are the official Governor results?: No single-election results page is recorded yet. The counting authority is California Secretary of State (https://www.sos.ca.gov/).