Ballotpedia Preferred Source

Elections Ballotpedia is covering in July 2026

By

Victoria Edwards

In July 2026, Ballotpedia is tracking 403 elections across seven states. These include two statewide elections, 19 special elections held to fill vacancies in five states, and two recall elections in one state.

Last month, Ballotpedia tracked 4,913 elections across 29 states. This included 20 statewide elections, 100 special elections, and five recall elections.

In July 2024, Ballotpedia tracked 396 elections in 14 states, and in July 2022, Ballotpedia tracked 497 elections in 11 states.

Upcoming elections:

This month, the following states have regularly scheduled statewide elections:

The following federal and state-level special elections have been called:

  • July 28: Georgia U.S. House District 13 special

Ballotpedia is also tracking 325 municipal elections in five states. This includes 18 special municipal elections. Below is a list of local special elections that overlap state capitals, the 100 largest cities by population, or the 200 largest school districts by enrollment:

  • July 21: Pima County (Arizona) special primaries for Justice of the Peace Precinct 6, Constable Precinct 9, and Board of Supervisors District 5

The following recall elections have been called:

In context:

One notable battleground election that Ballotpedia is covering in July is the Republican primary runoff for governor of South Dakota on July 28. This is the first primary runoff in South Dakota since the state passed a law in 1985 requiring a candidate to receive 35% of the vote to avoid a runoff. Before that law was passed, state party conventions decided the winner if no one won more than 35% of the vote.

Incumbent Larry Rhoden and Toby Doeden are running. Rhoden was formerly lieutenant governor and replaced former Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Jan. 25, 2025, when she became the secretary of homeland security in the second Donald Trump (R) administration. Doeden is a car dealership and rental property owner.

In the June 2 primary, Doeden received 31% of the vote, Rhoden received 25%, Dusty Johnson received 23%, and Jon Hansen received 21%.

South Dakota Searchlight's Joshua Haiar and Makenzie Huber reported that Hansen's supporters appear split between Rhoden and Doeden, while Johnson's backers are leaning toward Rhoden. Both Hansen and Doeden oppose the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines, an issue that has moved some Hansen supporters toward Doeden.

Hansen supporter and House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach (R) said he will likely vote for Rhoden, and that Doeden's supporters "divided and destroyed conservatives" in the legislature over the past two sessions to undermine Hansen's campaign. State Rep. Taylor Rae Rehfeldt (R), a Johnson supporter, said, "I can't speak for anybody else, but what I can say is that Dusty supporters believe in practical, commonsense leadership. I can tell you with certainty, they will lean toward Larry Rhoden because he has the ability to govern."

South Dakota is one of four states with primary runoffs for governor so far this year. The Republican primaries in Georgia, Oklahoma, and South Carolina also advanced to runoffs. 

Thirty-six states – the vast majority – hold gubernatorial elections in midterm election years. In 2022, the last time this set of offices was up, only one primary – Alabama’s Democratic gubernatorial primary – advanced to a runoff. In 2018, there were five primary runoffs. 

Eleven gubernatorial primary runoffs have been held or are scheduled in seven states since 2018 — two Democratic, eight Republican, and one Libertarian. Nine have already taken place, while runoffs in South Dakota and Oklahoma have yet to occur. In those nine completed runoffs, the candidate who received more votes in the primary won five times; in the other four, the candidate who received fewer votes won. 

While no state has had a general runoff for governor, there have been runoffs for two territorial offices. In 2022, independent Arnold I. Palacios defeated incumbent Ralph Torres (R) 54.1% to 45.9% in the general runoff election for governor of the Northern Mariana Islands. In the general election, Torres received 38.8% to Palacios’ 33.2%. In 2024, Nikolao Pula defeated incumbent Lemanu Palepoi Mauga 59.8% to 40.2% in the nonpartisan general runoff for governor of American Samoa. Pula received 42.4% to Mauga’s 36.2% in the general election. Neither territory held primaries for these offices. 

Additional reading: