# Early voting surges ahead of 2022

> Early voting numbers in key states already exceed 2022 midterm totals.
- Title: Early voting surges ahead of 2022 · Straight Arrow | Shortify
- Summary: Early voting numbers in key states already exceed 2022 midterm totals. Illinois has sent 1,036,090 ballots with 41,000 returned, far ahead of 2022's 620,000.
- Keywords: illinois, early voting, democrats, republicans, pennsylvania, nebraska, news, politics, world, Early, voting, surges
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/early-voting-way-ahead-of-last-midterm-numbers-in-states-with-ballots-out
- Published: 2026-10-05T22:39:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: illinois, early voting, democrats, republicans, pennsylvania, nebraska, news, politics, world
## Early voting starts in multiple states
California, Montana, and Nebraska began early voting Monday, with Indiana, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wyoming scheduled to start Tuesday.
## Illinois leads early voting numbers
Illinois sent 1,036,090 ballots with 41,000 returned, far ahead of 2022's 620,000.
## Party voting strategies differ
Democrats embrace early voting, while Republicans prefer in-person voting on Election Day.
## Trump's conflicting voting messages
Trump encouraged early mail-in voting in Michigan and Pennsylvania, then called to end mail-in voting in 2025.
## Pennsylvania mail ballot approvals
Pennsylvania approved over 1 million mail ballot applications, including 700,000 for Democrats and 250,000 for Republicans.
## Early voting surges in other states
Minnesota sent 426,000 mail ballots compared to 343,000 in 2022, while Maine issued 45,000 ballots.
## Key takeaway

Illinois has sent 1,036,090 ballots with 41,000 returned, far ahead of 2022's 620,000.