Early Voting Numbers: More Than 43 Million Ballots Cast, and Texas Past 6.3 Million
AP-compiled figures show early voting running nearly 10 million ballots ahead of 2022 nationally, with Texas up 50 percent at the same point — 6.3 million ballots against 4.2 million four years ago.
Early voting in the midterm elections is running far ahead of the last midterm cycle, according to data compiled by the Associated Press and reported Friday, read in full this cycle. Across the country, more than 43 million Americans had voted early in person or returned mail ballots, nearly 10 million more than in 2022, in figures covering 47 states and Washington, D.C.
The surge is especially pronounced in Texas, where voters are deciding closely watched Senate, House and governor's races. More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, compared with 4.2 million at the same point four years ago — a 50 percent increase. Advance voting has also risen more than 30 percent from the same point four years ago in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas, states with competitive Senate races, and in South Carolina early voting is up 83 percent.
In states that provide information on voters' party affiliation, about 6.8 million Democrats and 5.2 million Republicans have cast ballots early, according to the AP compilation; those figures do not account for all early voters nationwide and do not indicate which candidates received their votes. The increase comes as voters prepare to decide control of Congress two years into President Donald Trump's second term, with Republicans holding the House and the Senate. Friday, October 30 is the final day of in-person early voting in Texas; Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
