Early Voting Tops 24 Million as Democrats Lead Ballot Returns in Several Key Midterm States

More than 24.3 million Americans have voted ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with registered Democrats outpacing Republicans in several states as both parties intensify efforts to turn out voters.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

More than 24.3 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, with Democratic voters holding an early participation advantage in several closely watched states as Republicans seek to increase turnout before Election Day on Nov. 3.

According to the On Point Politics early-voting tracker, 24,331,783 ballots had been cast across 45 reporting states as of Saturday, Oct. 24, including approximately 13.2 million mail ballots and 11.1 million votes cast in person.

The figures represent a 13% increase over the comparable point in the 2022 midterm elections, when approximately 21.5 million ballots had been recorded across the same reporting states.

Among states reporting voters’ party registrations, Democrats accounted for 43.8% of early ballots, Republicans represented 31%, and unaffiliated or third-party voters made up the remaining 25.2%.

When estimated party affiliations are included for states that do not release registration-based breakdowns, On Point’s model places Democrats at 45.8% of ballots cast, Republicans at 31%, and independents and other voters at 23.2%.

The figures describe the party affiliations of people who have voted, not which candidates they supported. Ballots remain secret, and early participation figures cannot establish the outcome of individual races.

Texas has recorded the largest number of early votes, with approximately 3.08 million ballots cast. California follows with 2.76 million, Florida with 2.35 million, Georgia with 1.63 million and North Carolina with 1.45 million.

Republicans maintain an estimated 7.9-percentage-point advantage among Texas early voters, according to the tracker, although the state’s participation is running approximately 66% ahead of the comparable point in 2022.

California’s early electorate shows an estimated Democratic advantage of 31.8 points, with turnout approximately 14% higher than four years earlier.

In Florida, approximately 39.9% of early voters registered as Democrats and 39.5% as Republicans, producing a narrow Democratic registration advantage. The state’s overall early voting participation, however, remains approximately 9% below the comparable period in 2022.

North Carolina has emerged as another state with substantial Democratic early participation. Registered Democrats account for approximately 41.4% of early voters, compared with 24% for Republicans.

The state’s total of more than 1.45 million ballots represents a 36% increase over the same point in the previous midterm cycle.

Georgia has recorded approximately 1.63 million ballots, with On Point estimating an 8.5-point Democratic advantage among early participants.

Virginia has surpassed 1 million early votes, approximately 66% more than the comparable period in 2022, while Colorado has experienced a 61% increase.

Other competitive states are showing mixed patterns.

Pennsylvania has recorded approximately 721,000 ballots, with Democrats holding a substantial advantage among early voters. However, the Democratic margin is smaller than at the same stage in 2022, according to the tracker.

Arizona’s early electorate is nearly evenly divided between the two major parties, with Democrats holding an estimated advantage of approximately one-tenth of a percentage point.

Wisconsin has recorded roughly 526,000 early ballots, approximately 21% more than the comparable period four years earlier.

The latest figures follow earlier indications of increased participation in states with competitive congressional and statewide races.

An Oct. 20 Axios analysis found that Georgia and Virginia had already recorded substantial early turnout relative to their total participation in the 2022 midterms.

The report also identified increased voting activity in North Carolina and Texas, including record first-day in-person early voting in Dallas County.

The Associated Press reported that heightened early participation comes as both parties concentrate resources on states with competitive U.S. Senate contests, where the results will help determine control of Congress.

Republicans are working to mobilize supporters who traditionally vote on Election Day, while Democrats are encouraging voters to participate through available early-voting and mail-ballot options.

The comparison with previous elections also reveals significant differences in voter behavior.

Although early participation is running ahead of the 2022 midterms, it remains approximately 29% below the equivalent point during the 2024 presidential election.

That difference is consistent with the generally higher participation associated with presidential contests, although state voting procedures and reporting schedules also affect comparisons.

On Point’s data indicate that Democratic participation is approximately 1.9 percentage points stronger relative to Republicans than at the same point in 2022, based on its nationwide party model.

Compared with the equivalent point in 2024, the modeled early electorate has shifted approximately 10.8 percentage points toward Democrats.

Those measurements describe differences in the composition of early voters and should not be interpreted as changes in candidate support.

The tracker also estimates that approximately 58.9% of early voters participated in all four previous general elections between 2018 and 2024, indicating that frequent voters account for a substantial portion of ballots already cast.

Voters who participated in none of those four elections represent approximately 5.6% of the early electorate, although that category also includes younger Americans who were ineligible to vote in some previous contests.

Early voting totals are expected to rise considerably before Nov. 3, particularly as outstanding mail ballots are returned and additional states continue in-person voting.

According to the tracker, approximately 35 million requested or distributed mail ballots had not yet been returned as of Saturday.

Reporting practices vary among states, and some do not disclose voters’ party affiliations. Consequently, nationwide partisan estimates rely partly on modeling rather than exclusively on official registration records.

The actual political impact of early turnout will depend on which candidates participants select, how many additional voters cast ballots before Election Day and the composition of in-person voting on Nov. 3.

With 10 days remaining before the midterms, the latest figures show substantial voter participation across the country, a Democratic advantage among reported and estimated early voters, and significant opportunities for both parties to expand turnout before polls close.