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What’s open and closed on Election Day 2024? Check here before you go.
Election Day 2024 is expected to bring out tens of millions of people to their polling places, and many may also want to know what’s open or closed if they need to run errands, like shopping or getting to the post office.
While the Tuesday after the first Monday in November is designated for federal, state and local general elections, it is not a federal holiday. But some state offices will be closed, while workers in 28 states are guaranteed voting leave to take time off from work to cast their ballots.
That may leave some Americans to question whether they’ll find their local stores, banks, post offices, DMV and other services open on November 5. At the same time, some schools are closed on Election Day, partly as some educational facilities double as polling stations.
Are banks open on Election Day 2024?
Yes, banks and ATMs will be open on Election Day, given that it’s not a federal holiday, nor observed by the Federal Reserve system.
Wells Fargo, Citi and other major banks will be open on Nov. 5, according to their schedules. However, those banks and others will be closed Nov. 11, due to Veterans Day, which is a federal holiday.
Is the Post Office open on Election Day 2024?
Yes, the U.S. Postal Service will be open on Nov. 5 because it isn’t a federal holiday.
The USPS will also be delivering ballots mailed ahead of Election Day, although the postal service recommended that people who are voting by mail post their ballot by Oct. 29, or last Tuesday, to ensure timely delivery.
USPS workers will be delivering regular residential and business mail on Nov. 5, while its stores and other locations will be operating with their normal hours.
Is the DMV open on Election Day 2024?
Some states recognize Election Day as a public holiday, which means some offices there, including Department of Motor Vehicle offices, may be closed on November 5. U.S. states where DMV locations will be closed on Nov. 5 include:
- Delaware
- Illinois
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Other municipal; offices could also be closed in these and other states or cities that observe Election Day as a holiday. For instance, New York state and city courts will be closed on Nov. 5, as well as New York City offices.
Are any retailers closed on Election Day 2024?
Stores are generally open on Election Day given that it’s not a federal holiday. Among those that will be open are Costco, Walmart and Target.
However, some stores may have modified hours to accommodate workers who are voting. For instance, Bath & Body Works locations will open at noon on Nov. 5, rather than the retailer’s regular 10 a.m. opening time.
Are bars and liquor stores open on Election Day 2024?
Yes, bars and liquor stores are open on Election Day, although that wasn’t always the case in some states.
South Carolina repealed its ban on liquor sales on Election Day in 2014, with the state joining the rest of the nation in permitting spirits and other drinks to be sold on voting day.
That ban, which dated to the 1800s, was designed to reduce bribery and corruption during elections, Reuters reported. Election Day bans on alcohol sales were once common in the U.S. because of fears that politicians would buy votes by providing drinks, according to the New York Times
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Sen. Jon Tester and Republican challenger Tim Sheehy are facing off in Montana as the Democratic incumbent fights to hold onto his seat in the Senate in a race that’s key to determining which party controls the upper chamber.
Considered the most endangered Democrat seeking reelection in the Senate this cycle, Tester, a moderate in deep-red Montana, has been under the political microscope for months as he campaigns to keep the seat he’s held for nearly two decades. Although the 68-year-old has fended off previous challenges, shifting demographics and political dynamics in the state appeared to enhance the pickup opportunity for Republicans in the 2024 election.
Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and founder of an aerial firefighting company, received his party’s backing as the candidate to take on Tester. The 38-year-old worked to draw a contrast with Tester, portraying himself as an outsider during the campaign while painting the Democrat as an establishment candidate with deep ties to Washington. He also touted bringing jobs to Montana with his business, which made him wealthy enough to help fund his campaign.
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Sheehy, who grew up in Minnesota, has faced criticism for lacking the deep roots that Tester has in the state. He has also faced questions about discrepancies in his story of how he sustained a gunshot wound. Meanwhile, Tester sought to portray his opponent as an out-of-touch carpetbagger, likening the GOP candidate to rich out-of-staters who have flocked to Montana in recent years.
Tester is a third-generation Montana farmer. First elected to the Senate in 2006, his brand is well known in the state, and despite its more conservative politics, he’s won reelection twice as a moderate Democrat.
But Montana’s political landscape has changed. In 2020, Donald Trump won Montana by more than 16 points, and trends suggest that an influx of new residents in the state is made up largely of Republicans. The state’s changing dynamics posed a serious hurdle for Tester — the sole Democrat serving in statewide office in Montana.
The Montana Senate seat is a key target for Republicans looking to build a GOP majority in the upper chamber. And it marks among the final Democratic holdouts in the Great Plains, and in red states more broadly.
With a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate, Democrats have little room for error. After Sen. Joe Manchin opted not to seek reelection, all but guaranteeing a GOP flip of his seat in West Virginia, Republicans looked to Tester’s seat as the next best opportunity to gain ground.
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