The 2026 House election timeline
The next regularly scheduled federal general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Every voting seat in the U.S. House is contested because representatives serve two-year terms.
Congressional primary dates, possible runoffs, and candidate filing deadlines are set state by state. The Federal Election Commission publishes a national schedule compiled from state election offices and warns that future dates can change. Your state or local election office remains the authority for registration, ballot, and polling-place information.
How the House map works
The country is divided into 435 voting congressional districts. States receive seats through apportionment after the decennial census, and states establish district boundaries through their own laws or court orders.
Boundary changes deserve special attention in 2026. The House’s official representative lookup notes that a district used for the 2026 election may differ from the district represented during the current Congress. Confirm a voting district with the appropriate state election authority before relying on a current-member lookup.
How to read race ratings
Safe and likely
These labels indicate increasingly strong advantages in an analytical model. They do not mean a race is decided, and they are not official designations.
Lean
A lean rating describes a meaningful advantage with a more plausible path for the other party than in a likely or safe contest.
Toss-up
A toss-up is modeled as highly competitive. It is not a claim that each candidate has precisely equal support.
The map also displays prior margins, incumbency, open-seat status, and model confidence where available. Those fields can become stale as candidates, boundaries, and election calendars change.
Official sources to keep nearby
Turn the guide into a district-level view
Search by state, district code, district name, or incumbent. Open a race to inspect candidates, prior margin, dates, and model context. Share links retain the selected district so another reader can start in the same place.
Open the interactive House map