Early participation in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections surpasses historic records, with over 54 million Americans casting ballots ahead of Election Day on November 3. Data from the University of Florida Election Lab highlights strong turnout among registered Democrats, who account for 43% of early votes compared to 31% for Republicans. High voter mobilization in key Senate battlegrounds like Texas, Georgia, and Maine reflects significant voter engagement amid broader public reactions to President Donald Trump's economic policies.
National early voting figures and trends
- ▪Early mail-in voting in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections accounted for approximately 23 million ballots while in-person early voting accounted for 29 million ballots, according to the University of Florida analysis
- ▪More than 54 million Americans cast early ballots prior to Election Day for the November 3, 2026 U.S. midterm elections, surpassing the 45.9 million early votes cast in the 2022 midterms, according to the University of Florida Election Lab
- ▪The number of U.S. states offering in-person early voting expanded from 24 states in 2000 to 47 states plus Washington, D.C. in 2026
Party affiliation of early voters
- ▪In North Carolina's early voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, registered Democrats cast over 1 million ballots compared to 679,000 ballots cast by registered Republicans
- ▪In 27 states reporting party affiliation for early voting, registered Democrats cast 43% of early ballots compared to 31% for registered Republicans and 25% for unaffiliated voters, according to the University of Florida Election Lab
State-level early voting turnout
- ▪Early voting turnout in Georgia reached more than 2.8 million ballots, representing a 13% increase over early voting figures in the 2022 midterm elections
- ▪Early voter turnout increased by over 30% compared to 2022 midterms in competitive Senate race states including Maine (up 44%), Kansas (up 34%), and Michigan (up 32% with 409,000 additional votes)
- ▪In South Carolina, early voting increased 83 percent compared to the same point in 2022, reaching nearly 1 million ballots cast
Demographic breakdown of early voters
- ▪In the eight states reporting early voting numbers by gender, women cast more early votes than men
- ▪In 14 states reporting early voter age data, individuals over 40 years old cast more than 80% of total recorded early ballots
Political context and voter sentiments
- ▪University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald characterized higher early turnout among Democrats as a potential referendum on President Donald Trump
- ▪Voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump's tariff policies and military engagement with Iran in support of Israel contributed to a cost-of-living crisis hurting the Republican Party ahead of the 2026 midterms
- ▪National generic congressional ballot polling ahead of Election Day on November 3, 2026, indicated 51.5% support for Democratic candidates compared to 43.1% support for Republican candidates
Executive order on mail-in voting
- ▪In March 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to take control of mail-in voting by designing new barcoded envelopes
- ▪Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump's attempt to enforce a March executive order directing the U.S. Postal Service to mandate uniform barcoded envelopes for mail-in ballots prior to the November 2026 elections
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