{"schema_version":1,"checked_on":"2026-10-19","election_date":"2026-11-03","office":"Governor","states_2026":["AL","AK","AZ","AR","CA","CO","CT","FL","GA","HI","ID","IL","IA","KS","ME","MD","MA","MI","MN","NE","NV","NH","NM","NY","OH","OK","OR","PA","RI","SC","SD","TN","TX","VT","WI","WY"],"territories_2026":["GU","MP","VI"],"counts":{"states":36,"territories":3,"total":39},"runoff_notes":{"GA":{"summary":"A general-election runoff is scheduled for December 1, 2026 if needed.","source_urls":["https://georgia.gov/georgia-election-guide"]},"GU":{"summary":"If no governor/lieutenant-governor ticket wins a majority, the top two tickets meet in a runoff fourteen days after the general election: November 17 under the November 3 schedule.","source_urls":["https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title48-section1422&num=0&edition=prelim","https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/dates-and-deadlines/2026-reporting-dates/prior-notices-2026/election-report-notice-general-guam/"]},"MP":{"summary":"If no governor/lieutenant-governor ticket receives more than half the votes cast and counted, a runoff is held fourteen days after certification. Its date is not fixed here.","source_urls":["https://cnmilaw.org/pdf/cmc_section/T1/6509.pdf"]},"VI":{"summary":"The official calendar lists November 17, 2026 as runoff election day if a governor/lieutenant-governor runoff is required.","source_urls":["https://vivote.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Elections-Events-Calendar-December-2026-Signed.pdf"]},"AK":{"summary":"Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in the general election; later counting rounds are not a separate runoff voting day.","source_urls":["https://www.elections.alaska.gov/","https://www.elections.alaska.gov/sample-ballots/"]},"VT":{"summary":"If no candidate for governor wins a majority, Vermont's General Assembly chooses by joint ballot from the three candidates with the most votes.","source_urls":["https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/constitution-of-the-state-of-vermont/"]}},"schedule_source_ids":["nga-elections","ncsl-2026-overview","guam-calendar","cnmi-calendar","vi-calendar"],"next_cycle_groups":[{"year":2026,"jurisdictions":["AL","AK","AZ","AR","CA","CO","CT","FL","GA","HI","ID","IL","IA","KS","ME","MD","MA","MI","MN","NE","NV","NH","NM","NY","OH","OK","OR","PA","RI","SC","SD","TN","TX","VT","WI","WY","GU","MP","VI"],"status":"published_2026_schedule","source_ids":["nga-elections"]},{"year":2027,"jurisdictions":["KY","LA","MS"],"status":"calculated_regular_cycle_year","basis":"2023 regular election plus a four-year cycle; exact future election dates have not been separately checked.","source_ids":["nga-elections","nga-powers"]},{"year":2028,"jurisdictions":["DE","IN","MO","MT","NC","ND","UT","WA","WV","AS","PR"],"status":"calculated_regular_cycle_year","basis":"2024 regular election plus a four-year cycle; exact future election dates have not been separately checked.","source_ids":["nga-elections","nga-powers"]},{"year":2029,"jurisdictions":["NJ","VA"],"status":"calculated_regular_cycle_year","basis":"2025 regular election plus a four-year cycle; exact future election dates have not been separately checked.","source_ids":["nga-elections","nga-powers"]}],"terms":{"default_years":4,"exceptions":[{"jurisdiction":"NH","years":2},{"jurisdiction":"VT","years":2}],"limit_summary":"Term-limit rules differ by jurisdiction and may restrict consecutive terms or lifetime service. Virginia does not permit governors to serve consecutive terms. Check the jurisdiction's current constitution and official election resources for eligibility.","source_ids":["nga-powers"],"note":"Regular term length is not a claim about the current officeholder's service dates or remaining eligibility. Succession can occur between elections."},"role":{"summary":"A governor leads a state or territory's executive branch. Governors oversee implementation of its laws, propose budgets, and sign or veto legislation. Their authority over appointments, emergencies, and other decisions depends on the jurisdiction's laws.","level_note":"Governors serve state or territorial government. They are distinct from U.S. senators, who serve in the federal government.","source_ids":["nga-powers"]},"election_notes":[{"jurisdiction":"GA","kind":"conditional_runoff","runoff_date":"2026-12-01","summary":"A general-election runoff is scheduled for December 1 if needed.","source_ids":["georgia-calendar"]},{"jurisdiction":"GU","kind":"conditional_runoff","runoff_date":"2026-11-17","date_status":"calculated_from_statutory_interval","summary":"If no governor/lieutenant-governor ticket wins a majority, the top two tickets advance to a runoff fourteen days after the general election. November 17 follows from the November 3 general-election date.","source_ids":["guam-calendar","guam-governor-law","fec-guam-runoff"]},{"jurisdiction":"MP","kind":"conditional_runoff","runoff_date":null,"summary":"If no governor/lieutenant-governor ticket receives more than half the votes cast and counted, a runoff is held fourteen days after the Election Commission certifies the general-election results. The date is not fixed in this dataset.","source_ids":["cnmi-runoff-law"]},{"jurisdiction":"VI","kind":"conditional_runoff","runoff_date":"2026-11-17","summary":"The official calendar lists November 17 as runoff election day if a runoff is required for governor/lieutenant governor.","source_ids":["vi-calendar"]},{"jurisdiction":"AK","kind":"ranked_choice","summary":"Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in its general election. Ranking and later tabulation rounds are part of that election, rather than a separate statewide runoff voting day.","source_ids":["alaska-election-methods","alaska-sample-ballots"]},{"jurisdiction":"VT","kind":"legislative_selection_if_no_majority","summary":"If no candidate for governor wins a majority, Vermont's General Assembly chooses by joint ballot from the three candidates with the most votes, as provided by its constitution.","source_ids":["vermont-constitution"]}],"limitations":["This schedule describes offices being elected, not candidate filings or an endorsement of an incumbent.","November 3 is general-election day; early voting and absentee voting occur under separate jurisdiction rules.","Future regular-cycle years are calculations where explicitly labeled, not separately verified election notices or predictions about the current governor's service.","Special elections, recalls, succession, legal changes, and later official notices can alter the ordinary schedule.","The NGA page includes historical election sections and some repeated entries. Its 2026 section was used only for the 39-office schedule; candidate names and individual eligibility labels were not imported.","DC elects a mayor, not a governor; it is outside this office directory."],"sources":[{"id":"nga-elections","title":"Gubernatorial Elections","publisher":"National Governors Association","url":"https://www.nga.org/governors/elections/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"2026 general-election date and list of 36 states and three territories; historical 2023, 2024, and 2025 cycle anchors.","claim":"2026 general-election date and list of 36 states and three territories; historical 2023, 2024, and 2025 cycle anchors."},{"id":"ncsl-2026-overview","title":"2026 Elections Put Statehouses, Ballot Measures in the Spotlight","publisher":"National Conference of State Legislatures","url":"https://www.ncsl.org/news/details/2026-elections-put-statehouses-ballot-measures-in-the-spotlight","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"Independent confirmation of 36 state governorships on the 2026 ballot.","claim":"Independent confirmation of 36 state governorships on the 2026 ballot."},{"id":"nga-powers","title":"Governors' Powers & Authority","publisher":"National Governors Association","url":"https://www.nga.org/governors/powers-and-authority/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"Chief executive role, varying powers, regular terms of four years except New Hampshire and Vermont's two-year terms, and jurisdiction-specific term limits.","claim":"Chief executive role, varying powers, regular terms of four years except New Hampshire and Vermont's two-year terms, and jurisdiction-specific term limits."},{"id":"georgia-calendar","title":"Georgia Election Guide","publisher":"State of Georgia","url":"https://georgia.gov/georgia-election-guide","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"November 3 general election and December 1 conditional general runoff.","claim":"November 3 general election and December 1 conditional general runoff."},{"id":"guam-calendar","title":"2026 Election Information","publisher":"Guam Election Commission","url":"https://gec.guam.gov/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"November 3, 2026 general election.","claim":"November 3, 2026 general election."},{"id":"guam-governor-law","title":"48 U.S.C. 1422 — Governor and Lieutenant Governor","publisher":"Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives","url":"https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title48-section1422&num=0&edition=prelim","checked_on":"2026-10-19","access_note":"Official indexed statute text was available; direct retrieval returned a maintenance page during this check.","supports":"Governor/lieutenant-governor majority requirement and runoff fourteen days after an election without a majority.","claim":"Governor/lieutenant-governor majority requirement and runoff fourteen days after an election without a majority."},{"id":"fec-guam-runoff","title":"2026 Guam General/Runoff Election Report Notice","publisher":"Federal Election Commission","url":"https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/dates-and-deadlines/2026-reporting-dates/prior-notices-2026/election-report-notice-general-guam/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"Corroborates November 3 general and November 17 conditional runoff dates. This is a federal campaign reporting calendar, not candidate information for governor.","claim":"Corroborates November 3 general and November 17 conditional runoff dates. This is a federal campaign reporting calendar, not candidate information for governor."},{"id":"cnmi-calendar","title":"2026 General Election — Important Dates","publisher":"Commonwealth Election Commission","url":"https://www.votecnmi.gov.mp/downloads/2026/2026_GE_Important_Dates.pdf","checked_on":"2026-10-19","locator":"Page 1","supports":"November 3, 2026 general election.","claim":"November 3, 2026 general election."},{"id":"cnmi-runoff-law","title":"1 CMC § 6509 — Runoff Elections","publisher":"Commonwealth Law Revision Commission","url":"https://cnmilaw.org/pdf/cmc_section/T1/6509.pdf","checked_on":"2026-10-19","locator":"Page 1, subsection (a)","supports":"Conditional governor/lieutenant-governor runoff fourteen days after certification; certification is due no later than twenty days after the election.","claim":"Conditional governor/lieutenant-governor runoff fourteen days after certification; certification is due no later than twenty days after the election."},{"id":"vi-calendar","title":"2026 Election Events Calendar — General Election","publisher":"Elections System of the Virgin Islands","url":"https://vivote.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Elections-Events-Calendar-December-2026-Signed.pdf","checked_on":"2026-10-19","locator":"Pages 4–5","supports":"November 3 general election and November 17 runoff date; runoff row explicitly refers to governor/lieutenant governor.","claim":"November 3 general election and November 17 runoff date; runoff row explicitly refers to governor/lieutenant governor."},{"id":"alaska-election-methods","title":"Alaska Division of Elections","publisher":"Alaska Division of Elections","url":"https://www.elections.alaska.gov/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"Pick-one primary and ranked-choice general election system.","claim":"Pick-one primary and ranked-choice general election system."},{"id":"alaska-sample-ballots","title":"Sample Ballots","publisher":"Alaska Division of Elections","url":"https://www.elections.alaska.gov/sample-ballots/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","supports":"2026 general-election ballot type is ranked choice.","claim":"2026 general-election ballot type is ranked choice."},{"id":"vermont-constitution","title":"Constitution of the State of Vermont","publisher":"Vermont General Assembly","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/constitution-of-the-state-of-vermont/","checked_on":"2026-10-19","locator":"Chapter II, §§ 43, 47 and 49","supports":"Biennial governor elections, two-year term, and General Assembly selection from the top three when no candidate wins a majority.","claim":"Biennial governor elections, two-year term, and General Assembly selection from the top three when no candidate wins a majority."}]}