As of Nov. 3, total early votes for the 2026 midterm elections exceeded 61 million, surpassing the 45.9 million early votes recorded in the 2022 midterms, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. This includes both in-person and mail-in ballots returned before Election Day.
Early voting accounted for roughly 40 percent of the 112 million total ballots cast in 2022. As of Nov. 3, 28.5 million mail ballots had been returned. Eleven states have already exceeded 60 percent of their 2022 midterm totals, with Texas approaching 95 percent of its 2022 total ballots five days before Election Day. Other states surpassing 70 percent of 2022 totals include Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Among states reporting party registration, 42 percent of early voters identified as Democrats, while 33 percent were Republicans. Over a quarter of voters either had no party affiliation or identified with a minor party. This distribution aligns closely with trends observed in the 2024 presidential election, where Democrats accounted for less than 38 percent of total ballots, Republicans 36 percent, and non-party voters just over a quarter.
Gender and age demographics showed consistency with previous elections. Female voters had a higher share of early turnout in Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. Voters aged 45 or older accounted for three-quarters of ballots in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, while those aged 29 or younger represented just 11 percent in North Carolina and 8 percent in Pennsylvania.
Texas, California, and Florida reported the highest early voting totals, with 7.7 million, 7.1 million, and 5.5 million ballots cast, respectively. Wyoming (65,264), South Dakota (81,367), and Alaska (99,424) reported the lowest totals. Battleground states with significant early voting included Georgia (2.8 million), Michigan (2.4 million), North Carolina (2.8 million), and Ohio (1.7 million).
Early voting policies vary by state. As of 2026, 47 states and Washington, D.C. allow early voting, while Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not. States like Texas (50 percent increase), Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, and Kansas saw early voting jump by more than 30 percent compared to the previous year. Both major parties have encouraged early voting, though no official statements on voter mobilization strategies were provided in the available reports.