From BBC News · · 2m
43 million cast early votes in US midterm surge
Early voting in the 2026 US midterms has shattered records, with over 43 million ballots cast so far and turnout tracking to exceed even the 2020 presidential election.
In brief
Early voting in the 2026 US midterms has shattered records, with over 43 million ballots cast so far and turnout tracking to exceed even the 2020 presidential election. More than 43 million Americans have voted early in the 2026 midterms, with turnout on track to exceed 2020 and possibly 2018, driven by higher…
Record early voting in midterms
More than 43 million Americans have already voted in the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine which party controls Congress for the next two years.
Turnout pace far exceeds history
Data from the University of Florida Election Lab shows four to five million early votes cast daily. Overall turnout appears on track to outpace 2020 and possibly 2018, which held the 1914 midterm record.
Texas leads with 5.8 million votes
Texas has seen the highest above-average turnout rate and has already surpassed its 2022 numbers by around 1.75 million voters, with more than 5.8 million ballots cast.
Democrats lead early ballot count
Figures show 44% of early ballots cast by Democrats and 31.2% by Republicans, with 24.7% from voters with no party affiliation. This data comes from roughly half of states that require voter affiliation registration.
Hispanic turnout surges nationwide
Hispanic communities are seeing much higher turnout than usual. Data from North Carolina, Georgia and Florida shows increases in votes cast by Hispanic and black communities, while white voting is on par with 2022.
In-person voting preferred over mail
Voters increasingly prefer to vote in-person even when voting early, and are returning ballots earlier than in previous elections. Postal votes are more likely to be disqualified due to errors, Professor McDonald notes.
Early voting ends before election day
Early voting will soon taper off as states cut off early voting options in the days before the election on Tuesday, 3 November. Minneapolis has already set an early voting record for a non-presidential election.
In short
More than 43 million Americans have voted early in the 2026 midterms, with turnout on track to exceed 2020 and possibly 2018, driven by higher participation from Hispanic communities and Democrats.
