More than 23 million Americans — yaani 2.3 crore voters — had already cast a ballot in the 2026 midterm elections, in person or by mail, as of Friday, October 23, according to a Guardian review of University of Florida Election Lab data. The figure is a sharp jump from earlier in the week: NPR reported that morning that the total stood at almost 21 million and had climbed by roughly 2 million in a single day. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Source: The Guardian's review of University of Florida Election Lab data, reported by RocketNews

The biggest early totals are in the states that will decide control of Congress. Texas leads with more than 2.8 million ballots cast, followed by Florida with about 2.2 million, Georgia with about 1.5 million and North Carolina with more than 1.2 million, the Guardian's review found. Michigan and Ohio have each passed 900,000. Measured against the last midterm cycle, Georgia's early vote already equals more than 40% of the state's total 2022 midterm turnout, Texas is at 35%, North Carolina at 33% and Florida at 27%.

Source: The Guardian's review of Election Lab data, reported by RocketNews

23 million+ballots cast early as of Oct. 23 (Election Lab)
2.8 millionearly ballots in Texas, the highest of any state
45% vs 30%registered Democrats vs Republicans among returned ballots in states reporting party registration

Michael McDonald, the University of Florida professor who runs the Election Lab, told NPR that turnout is running ahead of both the 2022 and 2018 midterms when compared state by state. In states that publish detailed data, registered Democrats are returning ballots at higher rates than Republicans so far, and turnout is up among unaffiliated voters and among voters of colour in North Carolina and Georgia, NPR reported. Party registration shows which voters are turning out — it does not reveal how any individual voted.

Source: NPR, reported by WHRO

Analysts caution that early-voting numbers are a snapshot, not a forecast: states count and report ballots differently, totals change daily, and a strong early vote for one side is often partly offset when the other side's voters turn out on Election Day itself, NPR noted. More than 59 million mail ballots had been requested nationwide, according to Election Lab figures cited in the coverage, so the early total is expected to keep climbing through the final weekend before November 3.

Source: NPR via WHRO; Election Lab figures reported by NowLivo