More than 50 million votes cast in early US midterm elections
Early voting in the 2026 United States midterm elections has reached record levels, with 53.14 million of the country’s 210 million registered voters casting ballots ahead of Tuesday, according to the University of Florida. This total surpasses the 46 million early votes recorded in 2022, consisting of 29 million in-person and 23 million mail-in ballots. Among registered party affiliates, Democrats led early turnout with over 11 million ballots compared to roughly 8 million for Republicans. The surge comes as national polling shows Democrats leading Republicans 51.5 percent to 43.1 percent, reflecting voter frustration over an intensifying cost-of-living crisis tied to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and the joint war launched with Israel on Iran.
Turnout expanded sharply across key states, with Texas recording more than 7 million early votes—an increase of over 1.5 million from 2022—alongside marked gains in South Carolina, Maine, Michigan, and Kansas. The heavy participation via mail followed unsuccessful attempts by Trump to curb the practice through a March executive order mandating standardized postal envelopes, a measure the Supreme Court rejected last month.
Continue in the app — vote & join in ➔