More than 47.9 million Americans have cast their ballots in the midterm elections, setting a new record for turnout before Election Day.
The figures point to strong interest in several key states, while Democrats have recorded higher early-voting turnout than Republicans.
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According to the University of Florida Election Lab, 47,922,669 early votes have been recorded nationwide so far. That exceeds the previous record of 45.9 million votes, set in the 2022 midterm elections.
About 226 million Americans are registered to vote this year. Although Election Day is Tuesday, voters have been able to cast their ballots early.
The phenomenon is most pronounced in swing states, where Democratic and Republican candidates are expected to face close races.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Tallarico is seeking to end three decades of Republican control. As of Wednesday, more than 6 million people had voted in the state, about 50% more than in the 2022 elections.
High turnout has also been recorded in North Carolina and South Carolina. In Kansas, where the Republican senator is facing a tough race, the number of early votes cast over the past week was almost two-thirds higher than in the 2022 elections.
The statistics reflect greater Democratic engagement in early voting. In states that publish data on voters’ political affiliation, Democrats account for about 44% of voters who have voted so far, Republicans 31%, and independents or supporters of smaller parties 25%.
An increase has also been observed among African American and Hispanic voters in states that make this data public.
Experts, however, stress that early votes cannot be used as a reliable indicator of the final result. A voter’s party affiliation does not necessarily indicate which candidate they voted for, while millions of Americans are expected to vote on Election Day.
In past elections, Republicans have been more likely to vote on Election Day. For this reason, the Democratic advantage in early voting has not necessarily translated into the final result. Likewise, a higher number of early votes does not automatically mean overall turnout will be higher.
