Early Voting Explodes Before 2026 Midterms, With Texas Setting the Pace at Over 4 Million Ballots
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More than 28 million Americans have voted early in the 2026 midterms, and Texas is leading the charge with a huge margin. The data shows strong Republican and older-voter engagement, while both parties race to maximize turnout before Election Day.
The University of Florida Election Lab reports that over 28 million voters have cast ballots early for the 2026 midterm elections, with just a week left until Election Day. Early voting totals are markedly higher than in 2022, driven by strong increases in states such as Texas, where more than 4 million early ballots have been recorded, and Kansas, which has more than doubled its early vote count. The numbers point to a major surge in voter engagement, especially in states where turnout operations have been aggressive and highly organized.
Other states with the highest early-vote totals include California (3.1 million), Florida (2.7 million), North Carolina (1.5 million) and Virginia (over 1.1 million). Demographic data from the lab shows that among the 6.9 million early voters with age information, just 4.5 percent are 18-25 years old, while 50.4 percent are 65 or older. Of the 13.7 million voters in states where party registration is known, 45.1 percent are registered Democrats and 30.7 percent are Republicans. Those figures reflect the realities of the electorate as it stands, with older Americans turning out in force and partisan registration still shaping the race.
Race and ethnicity data, available for Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, indicate that 59.4 percent of early voters are non-Hispanic White and 28.4 percent are non-Hispanic Black. Gender information shows a slight female majority, with 54 percent female and 44.3 percent male. The breakdown illustrates the diverse coalition that is already moving to vote, even before the final campaign push.
Both major parties are encouraging early voting. President Trump voted early in Florida on Oct. 24 and has been campaigning in several states, while the Republican National Committee has revived its "Swamp the Vote USA" outreach. The site states:
"President Trump and Republicans won last November by making the election Too Big To Rig and making a plan to vote early. Now, it is up to us to win in 2026 by Swamping the Vote once again."
The Democratic National Committee’s Association of State Democratic Committees launched the "New Battlefield Project" to promote early voting and counter disinformation, and former President Barack Obama has joined the effort with appearances in key battleground states. Democrats are leaning on messaging and coordinated outreach, while Republicans are focusing on a disciplined, early-vote strategy to preserve and expand their momentum.