Early voting is surging across the United States, with more than 50 million ballots already cast ahead of Election Day on November 3. Turnout is particularly high in several states featuring competitive Senate and gubernatorial races.
More than 50 million Americans have already cast their ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, with just days remaining before Election Day.
According to the latest figures reported on Saturday, October 31, more than 50.5 million ballots had been cast nationwide, according to an analysis by the University of Florida Election Lab. That is nearly five million more than the total number of early votes recorded in the entire 2022 midterm election.
The NBC News early-voting tracker also reported a total exceeding 50 million ballots, including approximately 27.9 million votes cast in person and another 22.5 million returned by mail.
About 210 million Americans are registered to vote, highlighting the scale of the electorate heading into Tuesday’s election.
Competitive races draw voters to the polls
Early voting is attracting particular attention in states where closely contested Senate races could determine control of Congress.
Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Iowa and other battleground states are among those being closely watched as election officials report growing numbers of ballots.
Texas has recorded especially strong participation. Nearly 7.5 million voters cast ballots during the state’s 12-day early-voting period, setting a record for a midterm election.
In states that report voters’ party registration, more registered Democrats than Republicans have cast early ballots so far. However, party registration does not reveal how people voted, and the figures should not be interpreted as election results or a reliable prediction of the outcome.
The 2026 midterms will decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, making turnout in competitive states especially significant.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3. Votes will be counted after polls close, with results expected to emerge throughout election night and potentially beyond.
