Midterm Turnout: Early vote counts surge in key Senate races
Texas leads a national spike in advance voting, with over 6.3 million ballots cast five days before Election Day.
By Sarah Ross ·
Advance voting is running ahead of the 2022 midterm cycle, with particularly sharp gains in states deciding competitive Senate races. An analysis of voting data shows millions more Americans cast ballots early this year compared to the same point four years ago.
Texas recorded the highest absolute number of early voters. As of Wednesday, more than 6.3 million Texans had voted. That figure represents a 50% increase over the 4.2 million who voted early at the same stage of the 2022 election.
Other battleground states also posted strong growth. Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, and Kansas each saw advance voting rise by more than 30% from the 2022 benchmark. South Carolina reported the largest percentage jump, with early votes up 83% as voters select a successor to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Nationwide, the total number of Americans who voted early or returned mail ballots exceeds 43 million. This count is nearly 10 million higher than the 2022 figure. The data covers 47 states and Washington, D.C., a slightly smaller scope than the 48 states and capital covered in the previous cycle.
Party breakdowns are available in states that report affiliation. Approximately 6.8 million Democrats and 5.2 million Republicans have cast early ballots. These numbers do not account for every early voter nationwide or specify which candidates received the votes.
Voters are preparing to determine control of Congress two years into President Donald Trump’s second term. Republicans currently hold both the House and the Senate. The election will decide if that majority shifts.
Source: WRAZ
