When state legislators assume office after a general election

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The day that state legislators are sworn into and assume office after they are elected varies from state-to-state. In 41 states, legislators who are elected in November don't assume office until the following year, while in 9 states, legislators assume office before December 31 of the year in which they were elected.
See also:
Swearing-in dates of state legislators elected on November 2, 2010
Term-end dates of legislators elected on November 2, 2010
Swearing-in dates of state legislators elected on November 6, 2012
Term-end dates of legislators elected on November 6, 2012

States where legislators assume office the year after their election

Legislature (H/S) When sworn in
Alaska State Legislature

(H, S)

Alaska legislators assume office on the fourth Monday of January following their election[1]
Arizona State Legislature

(H, S)

Arizona legislators assume office on the first Monday of January following their election[2]
Arkansas State Legislature

(H, S)

Arkansas legislators assume office on the second Monday of January following their election.[3]
Colorado General Assembly

(H, S)

Colorado legislators assume office on first day of the legislative session after their election, which begins no later than 10:00 AM on the second Wednesday of January.[4]
Connecticut State Legislature

(H, S)

Connecticut legislators assume office the Wednesday following the first Monday of January after their election.[5]
Delaware State Legislature

(H, S)

Delaware legislators assume office the second Tuesday in January following their election.[6]
Georgia State Legislature

(H, S)

Georgia legislators assume office the second Monday in January.[7]
Illinois State Legislature

(H, S)

Illinois legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January.[8]
Iowa State Legislature

(H, S)

Iowa legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.[9]
Kansas State Legislature

(H, S)

Kansas legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.[10]
Kentucky State Legislature

(H, S)

Kentucky legislators assume office the first day of January after their election.[11]
Louisiana State Legislature

(H, S)

Louisiana legislators assume office at noon on the second Monday in January after their election.[12][13]
Maryland State Legislature

(H, S)

Maryland legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.[14]
Massachusetts State Legislature

(H, S)

Massachusetts legislators assume office the first Wednesday in January after the election.[15]
Michigan State Legislature

(H, S)

Michigan legislators assume office the at noon on first day of January.[16]
Minnesota State Legislature

(H, S)

Minnesota legislators assume office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January after the election. When the first Monday in January falls on January 1, it shall meet on the first Wednesday after the first Monday.[17]
Mississippi State Legislature

(H, S)

Mississippi legislators assume office the Tuesday after the first Monday of January. [18]
Missouri State Legislature

(H, S)

Missouri legislators assume office the first day of the legislative session, which is the first Monday after the first Wednesday in January at 12:00pm.[19]
Montana State Legislature

(H, S)

Montana legislators assume office the first Monday of January following the election. If January 1 is a Monday, legislators assume office on the first Wednesday.[20]
Nebraska State Legislature Nebraska legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.[21]
Nevada State Legislature

(A, S)

Nevada legislators' terms begin on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (the day after election day). However, legislators are not officially sworn in until the first Monday in February following the election. Per the Nevada constitution, the term of the incumbent leaving office ends on the day after the election.
New Jersey State Legislature

(GA, S)

New Jersey legislators assume office at noon of the second Tuesday in January following the election.[22]
New Mexico State Legislature

(H, S)

New Mexico legislative terms expire on December 31 every two or four years, however, incumbents remain in office until their successor is officially sworn in on the third Tuesday in January after the election.
New York State Legislature

(A, S)

New York legislators assume office January 1st.
North Carolina State Legislature

(H, S)

North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.[23][24]
Ohio State Legislature

(H, S)

Ohio legislators assume office the first day in January after a general election.[25]
Oregon State Legislature

(H, S)

Oregon legislators assume office the second Monday in January following the election.[26]
Pennsylvania State Legislature

(H, S)

Pennsylvania legislators' terms officially begin on December 1 the year of their election. However, legislators take the oath of office the first Tuesday in January.[27][28]
Rhode Island State Legislature

(H, S)

Rhode Island legislators assume office the first Tuesday in January.[29]
South Dakota State Legislature

(H, S)

South Dakota legislators assume office the second Tuesday in January after the general election. However, they may chose to be sworn in on the first Monday of January after their election.[30]
Texas State Legislature

(H, S)

Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[31]
Utah State Legislature

(H, S)

Utah legislators assume office the first day in January.[32][33][34]
Vermont State Legislature

(H, S)

Vermont legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January after the election.[35]
Virginia State Legislature

(H, S)

Virginia legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January after the election.[36]
Washington State Legislature

(H, S)

Washington legislators assume office the second Monday of January.[37]


Wisconsin State Legislature

(A, S)

Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election.[38]
Wyoming State Legislature

(H, S)

Wyoming legislators assume office the first Monday in January in odd numbered years.[39]

States where legislators assume office the year of their election

Legislature (H/S) When sworn in
Alabama State Legislature

(H, S)

Alabama legislators assume office the day after they are elected.[40]
California State Legislature

(A, S)

California legislators assume office the first Monday in the December following their election.[41]
Florida State Legislature

(H, S)

Florida legislators assume office two weeks following their election.[42]
Hawaii State Legislature

(H, S)

Hawaii legislators begin their terms on the day that they are elected in the general election.[43]
Idaho State Legislature

(H, S)

Idaho legislators are sworn in on the first day in December following the general election.[44]
Indiana State Legislature

(H, S)

Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.[45]
Maine State Legislature

(H, S)

Maine legislators assume office on the first Wednesday of December following the general election.[46]
New Hampshire State Legislature

(H, S)

New Hampshire legislators assume office on the first Wednesday in December in even-numbered years, one month and one day after the November elections.[47]
North Dakota State Legislature

(H, S)

North Dakota legislators assume office December 1st.[48]
Oklahoma State Legislature

(H, S)

Oklahoma legislators assume office fifteen days after the general election.[49]
South Carolina State Legislature

(H, S)

South Carolina legislators assume office the Monday after the election.[50]
Tennessee State Legislature

(H, S)

Tennessee legislators assume office on the day of their election. However, the governor and state officers are not sworn in until January 15 following the election, and the legislature is not organized for session until January.[51]


West Virginia State Legislature

(H, S)

West Virginia legislators assume office on the first day of December following their election.[52]

References

  1. ↑ Alaska Constitution, Article 2, Section 3, accessed November 17, 2012
  2. ↑ Arizona Constitution, Article 4, Part 2, Section 21, accessed November 17, 2012
  3. ↑ Arkansas Constitution, Article 4, Section 5, accessed November 24, 2012
  4. ↑ Colorado Constitution, Article 5, Section 7, accessed November 17, 2012
  5. ↑ Connecticut Constitution, Article Third, Section 2, accessed November 17, 2012
  6. ↑ Delaware Constitution, Article II, Section 3, accessed November 17, 2012
  7. ↑ Georgia Constitution, Section IV, Paragraph I
  8. ↑ Illinois Constitution, Article 4, Section 5a, accessed November 18, 2012
  9. ↑ Iowa Constitution, Article III, Legislative Department, Section 1, accessed November 18, 2012
  10. ↑ Kansas Constitution, Article Two, Section 8, accessed November 19, 2012
  11. ↑ Kentucky Constitution, The Legislative Department, Section 30, accessed November 19, 2012
  12. ↑ Louisiana Constitution, Article 4, Section 3, accessed November 24, 2012
  13. ↑ Louisiana Constitution, Article 3, Section 5, accessed November 24, 2012
  14. ↑ Maryland Constitution, Article III, Section 14
  15. ↑ Massachusetts Constitution, Article LXXXII, accessed November 19, 2012
  16. ↑ Michigan Constitution, Article XI, Section 2, accessed November 19, 2012
  17. ↑ Minnesota.gov, Minnesota Statute 3.011, accessed July 7, 2011
  18. ↑ Mississippi Constitution, Article 4, Section 36
  19. ↑ Confirmed via email with the Missouri State Legislature on 7/6/2011
  20. ↑ Confirmed via email with the Montana State Legislature on 8/6/2011
  21. ↑ Nebraska Constitution, Article III-10, accessed November 19, 2012
  22. ↑ New Jersey Constitution, Article IV, Section I, paragraph 3, accessed November 24, 2012
  23. ↑ North Carolina Constitution, Article II, Section 9, accessed November 19, 2012
  24. ↑ Confirmed via email with the North Carolina Legislature on July 7, 2011
  25. ↑ Ohio Constitution, Article 2, Section 02, accessed November 19, 2012
  26. ↑ Oregon Constitution, Article IV, Section 4, accessed November 19, 2012
  27. ↑ Pennsylvania Constitution, Article II, Section 2, accessed November 19, 2012
  28. ↑ Pennsylvania Constitution, Article II, Section 4, accessed November 19, 2012
  29. ↑ Rhode Island Constitution, Article VI, Section 3, accessed November 19, 2012
  30. ↑ South Dakota Constitution, Article 3, Section 7, accessed November 20, 2012
  31. ↑ Texas Government Code, Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001.
  32. ↑ Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 3, accessed November 20, 2012
  33. ↑ Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 4, accessed November 20, 2012
  34. ↑ Confirmed via email with the Utah Legislative Webmaster on August 11, 2011
  35. ↑ Vermont Constitution, Chapter II, Section 46, accessed November 20, 2012
  36. ↑ Virginia Constitution, Article IV, Section 6, accessed November 20, 2012
  37. ↑ [http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=44.04.010 Washington State Legislature, RCW 44.04.010, Date of regular sessions]
  38. ↑ Confirmed via email with the Wisconsin State Legislature on July 7, 2011.
  39. ↑ Wyoming Constitution, Article 3, Section 5, accessed November 20, 2012
  40. ↑ Alabama Constitution, Article IV, Section 46, accessed November 24, 2012
  41. ↑ California Constitution, Article 4, Section 2.a3
  42. ↑ Florida Constitution, Article III, Section 3
  43. ↑ Hawaii Constitution, Article III, Section 4, accessed November 18, 2012
  44. ↑ Idaho Constitution, Article III, Section 3, accessed November 18, 2012
  45. ↑ Indiana Constitution, Article 4, Section 3, accessed November 18, 2012
  46. ↑ Maine Constitution, Article Iv., Section 2, accessed November 19, 2012
  47. ↑ New Hampshire Constitution, Part II, Article 3
  48. ↑ North Dakota Constitution, Article IV, Section 7, accessed November 19, 2012
  49. ↑ Oklahoma Almanac, Legislative Branch, accessed November 19, 2012
  50. ↑ South Carolina Constitution, Article III, Section 10, accessed November 20, 2012
  51. ↑ Tennessee Constitution, Article II, Section 3, accessed November 20, 2012
  52. ↑ West Virginia Constitution, Article IV, Section 7, accessed November 20, 2012
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