More than 10 million additional ballots cast compared with the same point in 2022, with sharp increases in key Senate battleground states just days before Election Day.
More than 43 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, according to an Associated Press analysis released Friday. The total is nearly 10 million higher than at the same stage of the 2022 cycle, signaling unusually high early participation five days before polls close on Tuesday.
Texas leads the surge with a 50 percent jump, recording 6.3 million early votes. Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas have each seen increases of more than 30 percent. The numbers offer an early snapshot of voter engagement in races that will decide control of the U.S. Senate and House, along with dozens of competitive state and local contests.
The jump comes amid intense campaign activity and legal battles in several states. Election officials in multiple battlegrounds report longer lines and higher-than-expected turnout at early voting sites. Analysts say the volume could reshape final strategy for candidates in the remaining days of the race.
Both major parties are closely monitoring the data as they allocate resources for get-out-the-vote efforts through the weekend.
