When is the 2028 presidential election?
Tuesday, November 7, 2028. Federal law (3 U.S.C. Section 1) sets Election Day as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. The winner will be inaugurated as the 48th President on January 20, 2029.
Updated July 14, 2026. Election Day is fixed by federal law (first Tuesday after the first Monday in November). Methodology | Privacy
Key dates for the 2028 race
Dates labeled TBD are expected but not yet officially scheduled by either party or by Congress.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Nov 2026 | Midterm elections The 2026 midterms are widely seen as the real starting gun. Most serious contenders have said they will decide on a 2028 run only after the midterms. |
| Early-mid 2027 | Campaign launches begin Expect the first formal 2028 announcements through 2027, following the historical pattern of campaigns declaring roughly a year before the primaries. |
| Jan-Feb 2028 | Primaries and caucuses start Early-state contests are expected to begin in January or February 2028. The official 2028 calendar and the first-in-the-nation order are not yet finalized by either party. |
| Summer 2028 | Party conventions The Republican and Democratic national conventions formally nominate each party's presidential ticket. |
| Nov 7, 2028 | Election Day Voters cast ballots nationwide. A candidate needs 270 of 538 electoral votes to win the presidency. |
| Jan 20, 2029 | Inauguration Day The winner of the 2028 election is sworn in as the 48th President of the United States. |
Source: federal law (3 U.S.C. Section 1) for Election Day; 20th Amendment for Inauguration Day. Convention and primary dates are unconfirmed estimates based on recent cycles. Last data update: .
48th president, transition of power, and 2032
When is the 48th presidential election?
November 7, 2028. The winner becomes the 48th president on January 20, 2029. Trump is the 47th and is term-limited, so 2028 chooses someone new. Who will be the 48th president?
When is the transition of power?
Nov 7, 2028 to Jan 20, 2029. The outgoing president stays until noon on Inauguration Day; the president-elect prepares during the transition. Full transition timeline
2032 presidential election date
Tuesday, November 2, 2032. Inauguration for that cycle: January 20, 2033. Same first-Tuesday formula every four years.
Also see: 2028 primary schedule | debate schedule | filing deadlines | when campaigns start | days until Election Day
Will there actually be a 2028 election?
Yes - the 2028 election is constitutionally required and cannot be cancelled or postponed. This question comes up because of anxieties about democratic backsliding, but the legal answer is clear and the historical record is unbroken.
Four reasons the 2028 election will happen:
- The Constitution requires it. Article II sets presidential terms at four years. The current president's term ends at noon on January 20, 2029, under the 20th Amendment. No term can be extended without a constitutional amendment.
- Federal law sets the date. 3 U.S.C. Section 1 mandates that presidential electors be chosen on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November - November 7, 2028. Only Congress can change this, not the president.
- No president can cancel it. Cancelling an election would require a constitutional amendment: a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress plus ratification by three-fourths (38) of state legislatures. That has never happened and there is no realistic path to it.
- The precedent holds. Presidential elections have been held on schedule through the Civil War (1864), World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). The streak is unbroken.
The 2028 presidential election is happening on November 7, 2028.
2028 election dates: FAQ
When is the 2028 presidential election?
When is the next presidential election?
When is the 48th presidential election / who is the 48th president?
When is inauguration day 2028?
When is the transition of power after the 2028 election?
Will there be a 2028 presidential election?
When do the 2028 presidential primaries start?
When are the 2028 national party conventions?
What is the next presidential election after 2028?
When is the 2032 presidential election?
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More 2028 election resources
Full candidate tracker with declared, likely, and possible status labels for every major contender.
Prediction-market odds for who will win the 2028 presidency, sourced and dated.
Latest primary preference polling for Democratic and Republican contenders.
State-by-state primary and caucus schedule as the 2028 calendar firms up.
Detailed explainers on Election Day, primaries, conventions, and inauguration day.
Clear answers to every common question about how 2028 works.