US early midterm vote nears 48 million, topping prior record
Why it matters: Battleground states including Texas, North Carolina and Georgia are posting unusually strong turnout days before Election Day.
Nearly 47.9 million Americans had already cast ballots by midday Oct. 30 in the 2026 midterm elections, according to the University of Florida Election Lab, breaking the previous midterm early-voting record of 45.9 million set in 2022. The surge has been especially strong in states with competitive Senate races that could help decide control of Congress. Texas had logged more than 6 million early votes, while North Carolina and South Carolina were running well ahead of their 2022 pace. In states that track party registration, Democrats made up about 44% of early voters, Republicans 31% and unaffiliated or minor-party voters 25%. Michael McDonald, who runs the Election Lab, also pointed to higher participation among Black and Hispanic voters in states that report racial data.