FAQs

Congressional Election Information
(Congressional Deskbook, § 2.11, § 2.35)
TCNCE.com

The information below is from the Congressional Deskbook 6th Edition (§ 2.11).

This page is kept up-to-date by the authors of the Congressional Deskbook, Judy Schneider and Michael Koempel.

Also see 

"Casualty List" Congress by the Numbers - including current party numbers in Congress Congress Seating Charts Congressional Documents Online Congressional Fellowship and Internship Congressional Glossary Congressional Leadership and Committees Leadership of the current Congress - with photos Congressional Pay and Perks

Congressional Schedule How a Bill Becomes Law Legislative Process Flowchart How to Contact Congress Pocket Constitution Senate Classes: Terms of Service Terms and Sessions of Congress Visiting Washington, DC What's the deal with.... For a print directory of Members of Congress, see our Congressional Directory.

§2.11   2012 and 2014 Congressional Election Information

Election Day 2012 is November 6, and Election Day 2014 is November 4. Federal law (2 U.S.C. § 7) designates the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in even-numbered years, as election day for federal offices. Before election day, in each biennial cycle, the major political parties (and perhaps smaller parties) in each state will have held various kinds of conventions, and many states will have held major-party primaries and perhaps runoffs. Nearly all aspects of election administration are the responsibility of the individual states; Congress has not extensively exercised its constitutional authority to regulate federal election administration.

In addition to candidacies and candidate fund-raising that commences as soon as the previous general election is over, the earliest filing deadline is in December of the odd-numbered year in Illinois, unless states change their law.

Announcements of incumbent members' and challengers' plans can occur early, although, by the time all primary runoffs are completed, it may be just a month until the general election. As of August 2011, in anticipation of the 2012 general election, seventeen representatives and eight senators had announced their retirement at the end of the 112th Congress (2011-2013), although some were retiring since they were pursuing other offices. Members who had not announced their retirement are assumed to be running for reelection, but retirement announcements continue well into the general election year.

In the 2011-2012 election cycle, many members postponed announcements of their plans pending the completion of their state's redistricting. They had to decide not only whether to run for reelection but also, if running, what district to run in. Five representatives and one senator also resigned by August 2011, although one representative resigned so that he could accept appointment to the vacant Senate seat. A resignation so early in a Congress triggers a special election for a House seat, to be held soon after the early resignation and not usually postponed to a distant date for a previously planned election. In most states, the governor makes an appointment to a vacant Senate seat. (For information on filling vacant House and Senate seats, see § 5.10, Members of Congress: Service, Qualifications, Characteristics, and Filling Vacant Seats.)

The methods by which major-party and independent- or third-party candidates get their names on the general-election ballot are different in each state. Registration dates differ from state-to-state, and congressional primary dates in some states may be different in years in which the state holds a presidential primary (e.g., 2012, 2016, 2020, etc.) than in the non-presidential election years.

Some states have "sore loser" laws to prevent an individual who lost his party's nomination from getting on the general election ballot. Some states allow an individual to pursue two offices at once, such as the presidency and a House or Senate seat. In addition, between each general election some number of states amend various elements of their election laws.

The web sites of the secretaries of state's election divisions or the independent state election boards provide a variety of information: important dates for registration and primaries, links to state and federal laws, early voting and absentee ballot information, past election statistics, and candidate lists, among other election-related information. Information that has become critical in recent elections are liberalization of early voting and absentee ballot laws. Election divisions or election boards are also sources of information on these state laws. Some comparisons of states' election laws can be found on the web sites of the National Association of State Election Directors (http://www.nased.org); the National Association of Secretaries of State (http://www.nass.org); and the National Conference of State Legislatures (http://www.ncsl.org), under the category of Legislatures and Elections.

For the reader's convenience, a telephone number for each state's election authority is provided below, in addition to each state's election authority's web site. Information is also provided for the District of Columbia and the five territories' election authorities. 

This information is kept up-to-date by the authors of the Congressional Deskbook, Judy Schneider and Michael Koempel.

§2.35  Reapportionment and Redistricting - Links

Quick DC Links - Washington Essentials
 

URL:  TheCapitol.Net/FAQ/congressional_elections.htm
TCNCE.com
 

Related Resources

Live Courses

Congress in a Nutshell: Understanding Congress
 

Capitol Hill Workshop
 

Congressional Dynamics and the Legislative Process
 

Advanced Legislative Procedure

Publications