US midterm early voting exceeds 23 million as Democrats build initial lead

More than 23 million Americans have cast early ballots ahead of the upcoming United States midterm elections, with voter participation figures outpacing previous cycles and Democrats establishing an early lead in returned ballots.

The figures, tracked by the University of Florida’s Election Lab through Friday, arrive just 11 days before election day. Democrats are seeking a net pickup of four seats to regain majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Ballot activity has been especially strong across several closely watched battlegrounds. Texas leads the totals with over 2.8 million votes logged, followed by Florida at nearly 2.2 million, Georgia with almost 1.5 million, and North Carolina exceeding 1.2 million. Both Michigan and Ohio have surpassed 900,000 ballots.

Participation rates in several key states have already reached significant portions of their entire 2022 midterm totals. Early ballots in Georgia represent more than 40 percent of its total vote count from two years prior. In Texas, the share stands at 35 percent, while North Carolina has reached 33 percent and Florida has hit 27 percent.

Registered Democrats represent approximately 45 percent of all early votes recorded so far, compared to 30 percent from registered Republicans, according to tracking data based on voter registration rather than candidate choices. The divergence has been notable in typically conservative-leaning states, including North Carolina, Kansas, and Iowa.

Analysts suggest the elevated participation reflects public dissatisfaction with the current administration. Voters have expressed frustration with cost-of-living challenges, economic conditions, sweeping tariffs, elevated gasoline prices, and military actions involving Iran. These factors have coincided with low approval ratings for President Donald Trump, forcing the Republican Party to defend competitive districts even in areas secured comfortably in the previous presidential contest.

While Republican voters traditionally lean toward in-person voting on election day itself, party strategists have raised concerns that the current gap may indicate dampened enthusiasm and lower GOP engagement. Conversely, Democrats view the energized turnout as an opportunity to contest districts that have favored Republicans for decades.

Mail-in voting has also shown strong momentum despite earlier regulatory challenges. The Trump administration issued executive orders seeking to limit voting by mail, but those measures were overturned by the Supreme Court in September.

According to NBC News and data firm TargetSmart, more than 57 million mail-in ballots have been requested or distributed nationwide, exceeding the 52 million logged in the 2022 midterms. Data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab places the national number of requested postal ballots even higher, at more than 59 million.