Which US government offices are elected?

#Federal offices

• US representatives are elected by district voters for 2-year terms, so all 435 voting seats are on the ballot every 2 years.
• US senators are elected statewide for 6-year terms, with about one-third of the seats on the ballot every 2 years.
• The president and vice president are elected together for 4-year terms by electors, whom the voters in each state choose.
• Federal judges are not elected. The president nominates Supreme Court justices and other Article III judges, and the Senate confirms them.

#State offices

Every state elects a governor and state legislators, and many states also elect other statewide officials. As of 2026, 44 states elect a lieutenant governor, 43 elect an attorney general and 35 elect a secretary of state. Most states also elect a treasurer, and some elect officials such as an auditor, a schools superintendent or an agriculture commissioner. Many states elect some or all of their judges.

#County and local offices

State law and local charters decide which local offices are elected. Offices that voters often elect include mayors and council members, county commissioners or supervisors, sheriffs, district attorneys, county clerks, treasurers, recorders of deeds and school board members. Some states also elect coroners, constables, township supervisors or local judges.

#Same title, different rules

A job title does not tell you how someone got the job. Sheriffs are elected in most states, but Hawaii and Rhode Island appoint them, and Alaska and Connecticut have none. New Jersey’s governor appoints county prosecutors, while Pennsylvania voters elect district attorneys. As of 2023, 25 states had no coroner in any county, so medical examiners or other officials handled death investigations. Term lengths vary from place to place as well.