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An off-year election is a general election in the United States which is held in odd-numbered years when neither a presidential election nor a midterm election takes place. The term "off-year" may also be used to refer to midterm election years as well.
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Off-year elections during odd-numbered years rarely feature any election to a federal office, few state legislative elections, and very few gubernatorial elections. Instead, the vast majority of these elections are held at the municipal level. On the ballot are many mayors, a wide variety of citizen initiatives in various states, and many more local public offices. They may also feature a number of special elections to fill vacancies in various federal, state and local offices.
Because such off-year elections feature far fewer races than either presidential or midterm elections, they generate far lower voter turnout than even-numbered election years.
Federal elections
Regularly scheduled elections for the Senate and the House of Representatives are always held in even-numbered years. Elections for these offices are only held during odd-numbered years if accommodating a special election -- usually either due to incumbents resigning or dying while in office.
Special elections are never held for the U.S. President. If the President dies, resigns or is (via impeachment conviction) removed from office, the successor is determined by the presidential line of succession, as specified by the United States Constitution and the Presidential Succession Act, and serves the rest of the presidential term.
State elections
Five states elect their respective governors to four-year terms during off-year elections: Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia. Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi hold their gubernatorial elections during the off-year (see 2015 elections) before the presidential election; and those in New Jersey and Virginia are held in the off-year (see 2017 elections) after the presidential election. Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia also hold off-year state legislative elections.
Off-years may also feature a wide variety of citizen initiatives in various states, as well as a number of special elections to fill various state offices. States may also allow recall elections, such as the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election, when California voters replaced Governor Gray Davis with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Local elections
A majority of races held during off-year, odd-numbered election years are those for offices at the municipal and local level. Many major cities around the country elect their mayors during off-years, including the top five most populous cities: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia. However, as a matter of convenience and cost saving, many other city and local governments may instead hold their elections during even-numbered years to coincide with either the presidential or midterm elections.
New Orleans holds its municipal elections in a midterm election year, but the blanket primary is held in early February, with the general election (runoff) in early March if necessary.