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A handful of civics test questions ask who holds an office "now". USCIS has one rule for all of them: answer with the name of the official serving at the time of your naturalization interview. The general election on November 3, 2026 can change some of those names. A winner becomes the right answer on the day they take office.
The questions that ask about "now"
USCIS keeps a test updates page for questions whose answers can change because of an election, a judicial appointment, or a change in the law. These are the ones it lists.
| 2008 test | 2025 test |
|---|---|
| 20. Who is one of your state's U.S. Senators now? | 23. Who is one of your state's U.S. senators now? |
| 23. Name your U.S. Representative. | 29. Name your U.S. representative. |
| 28. What is the name of the President of the United States now? | 38. What is the name of the President of the United States now? |
| 29. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? | 39. What is the name of the Vice President of the United States now? |
| 39. How many justices are on the Supreme Court? | |
| 40. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? | 57. Who is the Chief Justice of the United States now? |
| 43. Who is the Governor of your state now? | 61. Who is the governor of your state now? |
| 46. What is the political party of the President now? | |
| 47. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? | 30. What is the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives now? |
Which list you study depends on when you filed. An N-400 filed before October 20, 2025 gets the 2008 test, and one filed on or after that date gets the 2025 test. You can see every question for your version on the 100 civics questions for the 2008 test or the 128 civics questions for the 2025 test.
What the November 2026 election can change
Every seat in the House of Representatives is on the ballot, so your representative may change. About a third of the Senate is up too, and your state may or may not have a Senate race this year. Some states also elect a governor.
The Speaker is not on any ballot. The House chooses its Speaker by a vote of its members at the start of a new Congress, so a new House can pick someone new.
The President and Vice President are elected in presidential years, and 2026 is not one. The Chief Justice is appointed. None of those three answers changes because of this election.
When the new names start counting
The terms of senators and representatives begin at noon on January 3, under the 20th Amendment. Someone who wins a House or Senate seat on November 3, 2026 is not your senator or representative until January 3, 2027. For an interview in November or December, the right answer is the person still in office, even if they lost or did not run again.
The new Congress meets that same day, and electing a Speaker is one of the first things the House does. If your interview falls in early January, check the Speaker's name again that week.
Each state sets the date its governor takes office. If your state elected a new governor, look up that date on your state's official website before you change your answer.
How to check your answers
- Start with the USCIS test updates page. It gives the current names for the federal questions and points you to official sites for the ones that depend on where you live.
- Find your two senators on senate.gov.
- Find your representative on house.gov by entering your ZIP code.
- Find your governor through usa.gov's list of states and territories.
The USCIS page shows the date it was last reviewed. The rule still follows the person in office on the day of your interview, so if a change happened after that date, go with the current officeholder.
If you live in Washington, D.C. or a U.S. territory, some of these have different answers. USCIS accepts that D.C. and the territories have no U.S. senators, and that D.C. has no governor. Territories with a nonvoting delegate or resident commissioner can name that person for the representative question.
A routine that keeps you current
Write your senators, your representative, and your governor on one card with the date you checked. They depend on your address, so a printed study list can't fill them in for you. Look them up again in the week before your interview, and once more if the interview lands between the election and mid-January.
The federal names are worth the same check. Say each one out loud along with the question, because the officer asks out loud and you answer from memory.
Studying the rest of the list
These questions are a small part of either test. Our free app has flashcards, unlimited civics practice tests, and read-aloud audio for both question lists, so you can drill the fixed answers and keep a short list of the ones you need to check.
For the interview itself, read what happens at the naturalization interview.
Sources
Checked on October 23, 2026. Officeholders and USCIS pages change, so confirm your answers close to your interview date.
- Check for Test Updates, USCIS (page last reviewed September 18, 2025)
- The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Sections 2 and 3, National Archives
- Amendment XX, National Archives
- 2 U.S.C. 7, time of election, Legal Information Institute
General information, not legal advice. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by USCIS.
