When Does Each County Elect Its Prosecutor and Sheriff?

Prosecutors and sheriffs wield tremendous power, and yet their elections are often uncontested and overlooked. In many states it can be difficult to even find out what year these public offices are up for election. The Appeal: Political Report is committed to providing resources that help follow and understand these local elections. This chart details the timeline of elections for chief prosecutor (also known as district attorney, state’s attorney, or commonwealth attorney) and sheriff in each state.

You can also visit our year-specific calendars, featuring information about filing deadlines and election dates, for the 2019 elections and 2020 elections.

Visit our coverage of the 2018 elections and 2019 elections for prosecutor and sheriff, and stay tuned for much more on 2020 in the months ahead.

Note: This calendar contains information about regularly-scheduled election cycles. When vacancies arise, a county may hold an off-schedule special election.

This timeline draws on information compiled by teams of researchers with The Justice Collaborative. (The Appeal and the Justice Collaborative are a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Advocacy.) Other sources include state and local boards of elections, and state and national professional organizations.