Early voting surges in Texas, South Carolina, and other Senate battlegrounds

Voter participation in the 2026 midterm elections is running far ahead of 2022 levels, with millions of Americans casting ballots before Election Day. An Associated Press analysis of data from five days prior to the election shows a national total exceeding 43 million early in-person votes and returned mail ballots. This figure represents nearly 10 million more ballots than were cast at the same point in the previous midterm cycle.

The increase is most visible in states with competitive Senate races, particularly Texas. More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, a 50% jump from the 4.2 million recorded four years ago. Harris County, which includes Houston, accounted for 862,700 of those votes, compared with 564,500 in 2022. The county has reliably voted Democratic in recent years, with Democrats winning the presidential and Senate contests there in 2024 by wide margins.

Texas voters are deciding closely watched races for the Senate, House, and governor. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in the Senate contest, while Republican Governor Greg Abbott seeks reelection against Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Millions of dollars have been spent on the Senate race as Republicans work to defend a state where Democrats have not won a statewide election in over three decades. President Donald Trump visited Texas earlier this week, marking his third trip to the state in one month.

South Carolina is seeing the largest percentage increase among the battlegrounds, with early voting up 83% compared to 2022. The state is holding an open Senate race following the death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. Voters there are also choosing a successor to the governor. In Kansas, early voting has risen by 34%, with approximately 83,000 more ballots cast than at the same time in the previous cycle. Republican Senator Roger Marshall faces Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton in that state.

Maine and Michigan have also recorded substantial gains. Maine, where Republican Senator Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson, has seen early voting increase by 44%. Michigan has recorded roughly 409,000 more early votes than in 2022, a 32% rise. This is the first midterm election in which Michigan offers early in-person voting statewide, a measure approved by voters in November 2022.

In states that disclose party affiliation, approximately 6.8 million Democrats and 5.2 million Republicans have voted early. These numbers do not account for all early voters nationwide or indicate which candidates received the votes. The election will determine control of Congress two years into President Trump’s second term, with Republicans currently holding both the House and the Senate. Republicans are defending a 53-47 Senate majority as Democrats attempt to win seats in states that have historically favored the GOP.