The numbers are in, and they shatter the previous benchmark. As of Saturday morning, 50.5 million Americans have already cast their ballots for the midterm elections, a figure that dwarfs the 2022 cycle by more than 5 million votes. That analysis comes from researchers at the University of Florida, who tracked the surge across all 50 states.
Partisan breakdowns tell a sharper story. State-level data shows 10.7 million registered Democrats have voted so far, outpacing the 7.8 million registered Republicans who have already participated. In Houston’s Harris County, Texas, the Associated Press found that 862,700 people had voted by Wednesday, a massive jump from the 564,500 recorded at the same point in 2022. The gap suggests a mobilization effort that is currently favoring the Democratic base, though turnout dynamics can shift sharply in the final week.
Timelines vary wildly by state, creating a patchwork of deadlines. Early voting kicked off as early as September 18 in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Virginia, while others like California and Maine waited until October 5. For voters in Arizona, Georgia, and Texas, the early window closed on October 30. However, in states like Florida and New York, early voting remained open until November 1, and in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, and Washington, it continues through Election Day itself on November 3.
No online voting exists in the US system. Citizens must vote in-person at polling stations, use mail-in ballots, or, for those abroad, utilize electronic request systems that vary by state. The stakes are high: 36 states are electing governors, 35 are deciding Senate seats, and 26 states face both races. The next major data drop will come from state election boards as they finalize the early vote counts ahead of the November 3 general election.