Most of the country is scheduled to return to standard time on November 1, with congressional elections set for November 3. Time researcher David Prerau said officials should warn residents ahead of clock changes.
Most US states will set clocks back one hour overnight on November 1. The National Institute of Standards and Technology lists that date as the end of daylight saving time in 2026. Congressional midterm elections are scheduled two days later, on November 3.
David Prerau, a time researcher and author of a book on daylight saving time, told RIA Novosti that people who are unprepared for clock changes may find it harder to adjust their schedules. He suggested that officials issue warnings one or two weeks before the spring change, when clocks move forward and people lose an hour of sleep.
Prerau compared preparing for a clock change with planning a trip across time zones. Some people learn about the change only the day before or after they wake up on Sunday, he said. Earlier notices could help residents adjust their plans, in his view.
The United States follows a federal schedule under which daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Proposals to keep daylight saving time year-round have periodically been debated in Congress, but the current rules remain in force.