A special election is an election held outside the regular two year cycle to fill a seat that became vacant. For Congress, special elections are the only way to fill a House seat, and they eventually settle Senate vacancies that were temporarily filled by appointment.
Who calls a special election
The governor of the state issues the writ of election. State law sets the boundaries: how soon the governor must act after the vacancy, how much notice voters get, and whether the race can be folded into an already scheduled election date. Because those rules vary, two vacancies that happen on the same day in different states can be filled months apart.
The timeline is usually longer than people expect
A special election takes several stages. Most states run a qualifying or filing period, then a primary or an all candidate first round, then the special general election, and sometimes a runoff if no one wins a majority. Each stage needs enough lead time to print ballots and send them to military and overseas voters.
The result is that a seat vacated in the spring is often not filled until late summer or fall. Some states shorten this by scheduling the special election on the same day as a regularly scheduled election, which saves money and usually raises turnout.
Formats vary by state
Several states hold a party primary followed by a general election, the same as a normal cycle. Others put every candidate from every party on a single ballot in the first round, and if no one clears 50 percent, the top two meet in a runoff regardless of party. Georgia uses that all candidate format for special elections, which is why a Georgia special can end with two candidates from the same party facing each other.
Turnout is usually low
Special elections happen on unfamiliar dates and often without other races on the ballot, so turnout is typically well below a November general election. That makes them harder to predict and gives organized groups more relative influence.
What the winner gets
The winner serves only the remainder of the unexpired term, not a fresh full term. A House member elected in a special election in the middle of 2026 serves until January 2027, when the term ends, and has to run again in the regular election if they want to keep the seat. The same applies to Senate special elections, where the winner finishes the predecessor term.
Related reading
See what happens when a congressional seat becomes vacant for how vacancies arise, and how U.S. senators are appointed for the Senate side. Definitions are in the glossary. Current races are on the 2026 Congressional Elections Tracker.
Last updated September 3, 2026.
