Early voting results had topped more than 50.5 million across the US by Saturday morning, with three days left before the midterm elections. The total was already nearly 5 million above the full early-vote count from the 2022 midterms.
That pace matters most in the places still deciding the balance of power. Republicans are defending a 53-47 Senate majority, while Democrats are trying to win control by taking seats in states such as Texas, Alaska and Kansas.
Texas and Harris county
Texas alone had already seen more than 7 million early voters, 1.5 million more than at the same point in the 2022 midterms. In Harris county, 862,700 people had voted by Wednesday, up from 564,500 at the same point in 2022.
That county has already shown how closely the numbers can track partisan strength. Kamala Harris defeated Donald Trump there by nearly 6% in the 2024 presidential contest, and Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred carried Harris county by roughly 11% over Ted Cruz in 2024.
Democrats and Republicans
In states that collect party registration data, 10.7 million registered Democrats had voted so far, compared with 7.8 million registered Republicans. The turnout surge is strongest among Democrats in those registration tallies, but those party registrations do not show how each person actually voted.
That gap is why the statewide totals matter more than any single registration figure. The early ballots could still break differently once Election Day arrives, especially in the close Senate races that will shape control of the US House of Representatives and Senate.
South Carolina, Kansas, Maine, Michigan
Early voting was up 83% in South Carolina, 34% in Kansas, 44% in Maine and 32% in Michigan compared with the 2022 midterms. Those increases show that the surge is not limited to Texas.
Donald Trump was also cited as unpopular with voters and visited Texas for the third time in a month, adding to the pressure around the state’s early vote total. The final test comes Tuesday, when the midterm elections decide the next Congress and the race for Senate control.
