According to recent data from the Associated Press, early voting for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections is experiencing a notable surge compared to the last midterm election cycle. With less than a week remaining until Election Day, millions more Americans are participating in advance voting, particularly in states with competitive Senate races.
In Texas, a key battleground state, over 6.3 million voters had cast their ballots early as of Wednesday, marking a significant 50% increase from the 4.2 million early votes reported at the same time during the previous election cycle. This increase is particularly relevant as Texas voters are deciding on several prominent positions, including Senate, House, and gubernatorial races.
Additionally, early voting has risen by more than 30% in states such as Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, and Kansas—all of which are home to competitive Senate races. South Carolina has seen an extraordinary 83% increase in early voting, where residents are selecting a successor to the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
The data, which includes figures from 47 states and Washington, D.C., reveals that over 43 million Americans have participated in early in-person voting or have returned mail-in ballots. This number represents an increase of nearly 10 million compared to the 2022 midterm elections. The data does not capture all early voters across the nation or indicate their party affiliations, although figures from states that do provide this information show that approximately 6.8 million Democrats and 5.2 million Republicans have already voted early.
The uptick in early voting occurs as the nation approaches a pivotal election that will determine control of Congress, with Republicans currently holding both the House and Senate. As the two-week early in-person voting period in Texas nears its conclusion on Friday, turnout has been particularly high. In Harris County, which includes Houston, 862,700 voters had cast their ballots by Wednesday, compared to 564,500 at the same point in 2022.
This significant voter turnout in Harris County, a region that has generally leaned Democratic in recent elections, is seen against a backdrop of variances in voting margins. In the 2024 presidential election, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris won Harris County by nearly 6 percentage points against Donald Trump, while Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred secured an approximately 11-point margin over Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
The context of this year's races is critical, as Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in a closely watched Senate contest, while Republican Governor Greg Abbott seeks reelection against Democrat Gina Hinojosa. The Senate race is receiving substantial financial backing, with hundreds of millions of dollars invested, as Republicans endeavor to maintain control in a state where they have not lost a statewide election in more than three decades. Donald Trump has also been actively campaigning in Texas, making three visits within a month of the election.
As Election Day approaches, the surge in early voting participation highlights heightened engagement among voters who are ready to influence the course of Congress and key statewide offices. The increased turnout reflects a broader mobilization of the electorate that may have significant implications for the political landscape in the coming years.
