In May 2026, Ballotpedia is tracking 9,982 elections across 27states. These include 13 statewide elections, 171 special elections held to fill vacancies in 16 states, as well as nine recall elections in five states.

Last month, Ballotpedia tracked 4,074 elections across 25 states. This included two statewide elections, 85 special elections, and five recall elections.

In May 2024, Ballotpedia tracked 4,502 elections in 25 states, and in May 2022, Ballotpedia tracked 7,139 elections in 25 states.

Upcoming elections:

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

• May 5: Indiana statewide primary, Ohio statewide primary
• May 12: North Carolina statewide primary runoff, Nebraska statewide primary, West Virginia statewide primary
• May 16: Louisiana statewide party primary
• May 19: Alabama statewide primary, Georgia statewide primary, Idaho statewide primary and judicial generals, Kentucky statewide primary, Oregon statewide primary, Pennsylvania statewide primary
• May 26: Texas statewide primary runoff

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

• May 2: Texas State Senate District 4 special general
• May 5: Michigan State Senate District 35 special general, Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals special primary, Ohio U.S. Senate special primary
• May 12: Georgia House of Representatives District 177 special general, Nebraska State Senate District 41 special primary, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals special general, University of Nebraska Board of Regents District 4 special primary, West Virginia State Senate Districts 3 and 17 special primary
• May 16: Louisiana Supreme Court special primary, Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 special primary
• May 19: Georgia State Senate District 7 special general, Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 196 special general 

Ballotpedia is also tracking 8,438 municipal elections in 23 states. This includes 154 special municipal elections. Below is a list of special local elections that overlap state capitals, the 100 largest cities by population, or the 200 largest school districts by enrollment:

• May 2: Crowley Independent School District (Texas) Place 3 special general, Fort Worth City Council (Texas) District 10 special general, Irving City Council (Texas) Place 6 special general
• May 5: Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division (Ohio) special primaries (4 seats)
• May 16: East Baton Rouge Parish Family Court (Louisiana) Section 3 Division A special primary, Houston City Council (Texas) District C special general runoff, Orleans Parish Civil District Court (Louisiana) Divisions M and N special primary, Orleans Parish Criminal District Court (Louisiana) Section J special primary
• May 19: Cherokee County School District (Georgia) District 3 special primary

The following recall elections have been called:

• May 2: City Councilor Codi Chinn in Fate, Texas
• May 5: Clerk Pam Brinkman and Trustees Rochelle Brown and Evan Laurie in Elmwood Township, Michigan, and Treasurer Kimberly Ketzel in Columbus Township, Michigan
• May 12: Trustee Chris Juilfs in Alvo, Nebraska, City Councilor Theresa Westfall in Peru, Nebraska, and City Councilor Zhon Gering in Harvard, Nebraska
• May 19: City Councilors Levi Johnson, Patrick Boyle, Darren Hayes, and Anicleto Maldonado in Benson, Arizona, and Town Councilor Annie Martinez in Mammoth, Arizona 
• May 28: Mayor Michael Bivens and City Councilors Amy Harcar and Lori Elmore in Whitehall, Ohio

In context:

There are eight states holding primaries for U.S. Senate this month. Additionally, on May 5, Ohio is holding a primary for the special election to fill the remainder of the six-year term that Vice President J.D. Vance (R) was elected to in 2022. 

Eight Democratic primaries and eight Republican primaries are contested this month. The Republican primary in Ohio and the Democratic primary in Georgia are uncontested.

Of the nine seats on the ballot this month, Republicans hold seven and Democrats hold two. Here’s a look at several of the Republican Senate primaries happening this month and how they fit into this year’s overall landscape of U.S. Senate elections. 

May 16 Louisiana primary

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R), Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming (R), and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow (R) lead in fundraising and polling.

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) endorsed Cassidy. U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) endorsed Fleming. President Donald Trump (R) and Gov. Jeff Landry (R) endorsed Letlow.

Cassidy has been in the U.S. Senate since 2014. Before that, he was a state senator and served in the U.S. House. Fleming represented Louisiana's 4th Congressional District from 2009 to 2017 and was Trump's deputy chief of staff at the end of Trump's first term. Letlow represents Louisiana's 5th Congressional District. She was a university professor and administrator before her election to the U.S. House in 2021.

May 19 Alabama primary

Jared Hudson (R), Steve Marshall (R), Barry Moore (R), and three other candidates are running in the Republican primary. Incumbent Tommy Tuberville (R) is running for governor.

Hudson is the CEO of two organizations — the Covenant Rescue Group and The Shooting Institute. Marshall is Alabama’s attorney general, and Moore is a member of the U.S. House representing Alabama’s 1st Congressional District.

Former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) endorsed Hudson. The Alabama Farmers Federation and Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama endorsed Marshall. Trump and Vance endorsed Moore.

May 19 Georgia primary

U.S. Rep. Earl Carter (R), U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R), real estate agent John Coyne (R), football coach Derek Dooley (R), and pastor and retired U.S. Army Reserve brigadier general Jonathan McColumn (R) are running in the Republican primary.

The winner of the primary will run against incumbent Jon Ossoff (D) in the general election.

May 19 Kentucky primary

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R), former Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R), entrepreneur Nate Morris (R), and nine others are running in Kentucky’s Republican primary. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) is not running, meaning the seat is open for the first time since McConnell's election in 1984.

Here are a few of each candidate’s noteworthy endorsements:

• U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), former U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), and U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) have endorsed Barr. 
• Kentucky State Sen. Gary Boswell (R), Kentucky State Sen. Robby Mills (R), and Kentucky Right to Life have endorsed Cameron.
• U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R), and Turning Point Action have endorsed Morris.

May 26 Texas Runoff

On May 26, incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) will face each other in the primary runoff for Texas’ U.S. Senate nomination. Cornyn and Paxton advanced to a runoff because neither received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary. Cornyn led Paxton 42% to 40.5% in the primary. The winner of the runoff will face Democratic nominee and state Rep. James Talarico (D) on Nov. 3. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and the National Border Patrol Council endorsed Cornyn. U.S. Reps. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas) endorsed Paxton.

Other Senate elections + Context

There are also U.S. Senate primaries in Nebraska (May 12), West Virginia (May 12), Idaho (May 19), and Oregon (May 19) this month. 

Thirty-three U.S. Senate seats are up for election this year and another two seats are up for special election. Nationally, Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans hold 22.

The Senate seat in Maine is the only one that Republicans are defending in a state that Kamala Harris (D) won in the 2024 presidential election. Democrats are defending two seats in states that Donald Trump (R) won in the 2024 presidential election: Georgia and Michigan.

Heading into the 2026 elections, Republicans held a 53-45 majority in the chamber and both independent U.S. senators — Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) — caucused with the Democrats.