WASHINGTON, D.C. — Early voting began in the nation’s capital on Oct. 26 as residents prepare for a consequential midterm election that will usher in a new era of political leadership, with voters set to elect a new mayor and congressional delegate for the first time in more than a decade.
Voters will elect a new mayor following Muriel Bowser’s decision not to seek a fourth term, while the retirement of longtime congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton will leave another prominent political position open for the first time in 35 years.
The changes come as neighboring Virginia and Maryland report substantial early voter participation ahead of the Nov. 3 elections, with nearly 1.8 million ballots already cast across the two states as of Oct. 27.
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DC opens 25 early voting centers
According to the District of Columbia Board of Elections, 25 early voting centers will operate daily from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sunday, Nov. 1. Residents can vote at any designated center regardless of their home address. Eligible voters who have not registered may also do so at polling locations by presenting acceptable proof of residency.
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On Election Day, Nov. 3, the District will expand operations to 75 voting centers, open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. This election will also introduce ranked-choice voting in qualifying District races, allowing residents to rank candidates by preference rather than selecting only one.
The system, which was first implemented during the June 2026 primaries, uses successive rounds of counting when no candidate initially receives a majority.
New mayor and congressional delegate
The mayoral race marks a significant transition in D.C. politics after Bowser’s 12 years in office. Democratic nominee Janeese Lewis George, a former D.C. Council member who won the party’s primary, faces independent candidate Rhonda Hamilton and Statehood Green Party nominee Robert L. Gross.
Analysts note that Democrats hold a substantial registration advantage in the District, accounting for approximately 75 percent of registered voters, making the Democratic primary particularly influential in local elections. The race to replace Norton will also bring new representation to Washington after her 35-year tenure as the District’s nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Democrat Robert White, another former council member and the party’s primary winner, faces Republican Denise Rosado and Statehood Green candidate Kymone Freeman. Though D.C.’s congressional delegate can introduce legislation and participate in committee proceedings, the position does not carry a vote on final legislation in the full House.
Beyond these high-profile contests, voters will decide races for D.C. Council chair, at-large and ward-level council seats, attorney general, and other local offices.
Virginia and Maryland see strong turnout
Early voting is also underway in neighboring Virginia and Maryland, where residents are casting ballots in congressional and statewide races. According to NBC News election data provided by TargetSmart, approximately 1.18 million voters in Virginia had already cast mail-in or early in-person ballots as of Oct. 27, representing about 18 percent of the state’s 6.45 million registered voters.
TargetSmart’s estimates attribute a whopping 58 percent of Virginia’s early ballots to Democratic voters, 34 percent to Republicans, and 8 percent to others. Virginia does not register voters by party, so these figures are modeled estimates rather than official party-registration totals.
Virginia’s ballot includes the U.S. Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Mark Warner and Republican Bert Mizusawa, along with several competitive House races.
In Maryland, approximately 614,880 early ballots had been cast, representing 13 percent of the state’s 4.57 million registered voters. Meanwhile, Democrats accounted for approximately 66 percent of those ballots, Republicans 20 percent, and other voters 14 percent, according to the data.
Maryland voters will also decide a gubernatorial contest between Democratic incumbent Wes Moore and Republican Dan Cox, alongside congressional and attorney general races. Early voting concludes Oct. 29 in Maryland and Oct. 31 in Virginia.
A pivotal election
While Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland face different political contests, the upcoming midterms will determine leadership at both the local and federal levels, with implications for policies ranging from public safety and housing affordability to economic development and government accountability.
For D.C., the departure of two longtime political figures marks a particularly significant turning point. The next mayor will inherit challenges involving crime, housing costs, and the District’s finances, while the incoming congressional delegate will face the continuing task of advocating for greater representation and autonomy in a city where residents pay federal taxes but lack full voting representation in Congress.
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