3 U.S.C. § 21 — Definitions

(1) "Election day" means the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, in every fourth year following a presidential and vice-presidential election. There is an exception: if a state appoints its electors by popular vote, and that state modifies its voting period because of extraordinary and catastrophic events beyond anyone's control — under a state law enacted before election day — then "election day" includes that modified period of voting. (2) "State" includes the District of Columbia. (3) "Executive" means, for any state, the Governor of that state — or, for the District of Columbia, the Mayor of the District of Columbia. There is an exception: if a state's laws or constitution, in effect as of election day, expressly require a different state executive to perform the duties this chapter assigns, then that different official is the "executive" instead.