Ballot Box Boom: Early Turnout Jumps 20% in Midterm Battlegrounds

More than 43 million Americans have already voted, a figure that stands nearly 10 million higher than the count at this same point in the 2022 midterm election. An Associated Press analysis of voting data released five days before Election Day confirms that advance participation is outpacing recent history across the country.

The data covers 47 states and Washington, D.C. The total includes those who voted early in person and those who returned mail ballots. In states that disclose party affiliation, the split so far is 6.8 million Democrats to 5.2 million Republicans. These numbers do not indicate which specific candidates received the votes.

Texas leads the surge in raw numbers. More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, a 50 percent increase over the 4.2 million who did so four years ago. The state’s two week early in person voting period ends Friday. Harris County, which includes Houston, saw 862,700 people vote by Wednesday. That is nearly 300,000 more than the 564,500 recorded at the same point in 2022.

The county has voted Democratic in recent cycles. In 2024, Kamala Harris won the presidential contest there by almost six percentage points. Colin Allred carried the county for the Senate by roughly 11 percentage points over Ted Cruz. This year, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico for the Senate seat. Republican Governor Greg Abbott runs for reelection against Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Trump visited Texas earlier this week, marking his third trip to the state in one month.

Sharp increases also appear in other Senate battlegrounds. South Carolina, where voters select a successor to the late Lindsey Graham, saw early voting jump 83 percent. The state has open races for both governor and the Senate. Kansas reported a 34 percent increase, with roughly 83,000 more ballots cast than in 2022. Republican Senator Roger Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in that contest.

Maine and Michigan are also seeing higher turnout. In Maine, early voting is up 44 percent as Republican Senator Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson. Michigan recorded about 409,000 more early votes than in 2022, a 32 percent rise. This is the first midterm election where Michigan voters can use early in person voting statewide, a provision approved in November 2022.

Republicans currently hold a 53 to 47 majority in the Senate. They must defend that control in a midterm election where Democrats aim for upsets in traditionally red states. The expanded battleground map includes states where early voting has increased by more than 30 percent compared to the previous cycle.