More than 12.6 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, the University of Florida Election Lab tracker reported in an Axios data snapshot on Oct. 20.
That early voting surge is concentrated in battleground states where control of the Senate and House is at stake: Axios reported Georgia has topped 1 million early ballots — about 25.9% of its 2022 turnout — and Virginia had 770,916 early ballots, or 25.5% of its 2022 total.
An Associated Press analysis of state returns shows sharp increases in advance voting in several competitive states, with steeper gains in places such as Texas and Kansas compared with the same point in the 2022 midterms, the AP reported on Oct. 21.
State reporting schedules vary, and experts say early-vote totals are an imperfect predictor of final turnout because those who vote early are often more politically engaged than average. Axios’s tracker snapshot counted 8,350,858 early votes and 4,267,226 mail ballots as of Oct. 20, and noted reporting differences across states.
Campaigns and national parties are watching the figures closely: Democrats have pointed to strong early turnout in states where they are targeting Senate seats, while Republican strategists are emphasizing turnout efforts in rural and suburban counties. Local election offices have also highlighted record-setting single-day tallies in some counties.
The article links below include practical voting resources for readers: for nationwide early-voting information see early voting under way across the US, and to find local hours and locations consult Early voting near me.
What this means for control of Congress remains uncertain; both Axios and the AP caution that early totals provide a glimpse of enthusiasm but not a definitive forecast of election outcomes. Journalists tracking the vote recommend watching state boards for daily returns through Election Day.
Sources
- Axios — data snapshot from the University of Florida Election Lab showing 12.6 million ballots cast and state-by-state early-vote shares as of Oct. 20.
- The Associated Press — analysis reporting sharp increases in early and mail voting in competitive states including Texas, Kansas, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio.
