Five states schedule their marquee state elections in odd-numbered years, deliberately apart from presidential and congressional contests. Their calendars don't line up with each other either, which is why in any given year, somewhere in America, a legislature or governorship is on the ballot.
The five odd-year states
Only five states hold their marquee state elections in odd-numbered years. The map shows how each one is off-cycle; the table below has the specifics.
| State | What's Off-Cycle | Next Up |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | Lower house every odd year, senate on four-year terms; Governor separately, in odd years | Legislature 2027 · Governor 2029 |
| New Jersey | Lower house every odd year, senate on four-year terms (one two-year term per decade after redistricting); Governor separately, in odd years | Legislature 2027 · Governor 2029 |
| Louisiana | Governor, statewide offices, and legislature together | 2027 |
| Mississippi | Governor, statewide offices, and legislature together | 2027 |
| Kentucky | Governor and statewide offices only (legislature votes in even years) | Governor 2027 · Legislature 2026 |
The shapes differ. Virginia and New Jersey elect their lower houses every odd year but their state senators to four-year terms, so the full legislature is on the ballot together only in the odd years when the two chambers coincide, next in 2027; the governorship runs on its own odd-year track. Louisiana and Mississippi put the whole state government (governor, row offices, and legislature) on the same odd-year ballot. Kentucky splits the difference: its legislature votes in even years alongside the rest of the country, but its governor and statewide officers run the year before a presidential election.
Why states do this
The common thread is separation: keeping state contests from being swamped by federal campaigns, federal money, and federal turnout dynamics. An odd-year electorate shows up specifically for state offices, and candidates for governor or delegate aren't sharing airtime with a presidential race. Critics note the same feature from the other side: smaller, older, more habitual electorates decide these races. Either way, the design is intentional and, in these five states, deeply rooted.
Why everyone else watches them
Because they're the only governor and legislative races between Novembers, odd-year results get read, fairly or not, as the first hard data on the national mood after a presidential election. Virginia and New Jersey, voting twelve months after every presidential contest, carry the heaviest bellwether reputation. The predictive record is mixed, but the attention is reliable: every four years, two states' legislative maps become a national story.
What it means for this site
Off-cycle states are why our coverage never has a true off-season. In even years like 2026 they sit out the main cycle: Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia have no regular legislative elections on this year's ballot, while their special elections keep scoring partisan swing in the meantime. Their 2027 cycle picks up the moment this November's results are certified.