On November 1, ForecastEx gave two different answers to a basic question about its 2026 House election markets: when does trading end? Its online records said January 4, 2027, while the written rules linked from those records pointed to just before midnight on January 2—a difference of about 39 hours. A customer following the rules link therefore gets a different answer about how long they can try to leave a position.[1,2]
Aries, a broker offering these markets, showed the later closing time. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) also supplied that time in its public rules data. The code behind its market page uses the closing time to decide whether to label the market open or closed.[3,4]
How the two dates arise
These markets let people trade on whether the Democratic Party or the Republican Party will win a House majority in the 2026 election. Each party has its own question, with a Yes and a No contract. The timetable separates three things: when trading stops, when ForecastEx determines the result, and when payment is expected.[1,2,4]
For both House questions, ForecastEx’s online records give January 4 at 3 p.m. Central as the last time to trade. The exchange’s page labels this “Last Trade Time.” Each record also links to a document setting out the rules for that contract.[1]
The document gives a different timetable. Under its normal schedule, ForecastEx determines the result at 7 a.m. Central on January 4 of the year after the election. Trading must end at 11:59:59 p.m. two calendar days earlier. For the 2026 election, that means January 2, 2027.[2]
Here is how those times compare. All are shown in Central time, so time zones do not account for the difference.[1,2,3,4]
| Where the deadline appears | When trading ends in 2027 |
|---|---|
| ForecastEx’s written rules, using the normal timetable [2] | January 2 · 11:59:59 p.m. Central |
| ForecastEx’s online market records [1] | January 4 · 3 p.m. Central |
| Aries’ House market page [3] | January 4 · 3 p.m. Central |
| IBKR’s public rules data [4] | January 4 · 3 p.m. Central |
Both House questions; records saved November 1, 2026. The first date is calculated from the written rules. The other three are listed by the exchange or broker. The exact gap is 39 hours and one second.
Why the closing time matters
A customer who wants to leave one of these positions has to make another trade. Aries explains that someone holding Yes exits by buying No for the same question, while someone holding No buys Yes.[8]
A customer needs the closing time to know how long they can try to leave a position. Yet checking the exchange’s market record and then following its rules link produces two different timetables for the same trade.[1,2,8]
The earlier date comes from filed rules
The same trading deadline appears in documents ForecastEx sent to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on July 31, 2026. The submission says changes to all listed contracts would take effect on August 14. The House rules attached to that filing have the same wording as the six-page document the exchange still links to.[2,5]
ForecastEx’s rulebook says it must publish terms for its contracts and that the contracts are subject to those terms. The earlier date therefore comes from written rules that the exchange itself directs readers to.[1,5,6]
The later date also appears at brokers
IBKR’s public rules data gives January 4 at 3 p.m. Central for all four choices: Yes and No for the Democratic question, and Yes and No for the Republican question. Each record links to the same written rules containing the earlier deadline.[4]
We also checked the published software code for IBKR’s ForecastTrader page. It tells the page to show “Market Open” before the closing time stored in those records and “Market Closed” once that time is reached. It uses the same time for the countdown.[4]
Aries shows the equivalent time as 4 p.m. Eastern on January 4. Its public contract data also gives January 4 as the last trading date for both House questions.[3,7]
Aries warns that leaving a position depends on finding a matching trade and can be affected by operating problems. The written rules also allow early determination of the result and timetable changes if the official source changes its schedule. This comparison uses the normal timetable and the records saved on November 1.[2,8]