US midterm early votes hit record 48 million

The University of Florida's Election Lab reported a record-breaking 47,922,669 early votes nationwide in the US midterm elections, surpassing the previous 2022 total of 45.9 million. The surge in early voting is particularly notable in key battleground states with competitive Senate races, which could determine control of the chamber for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term.

In Texas, over six million people had already cast their ballots by Wednesday, with in-person turnout 50% higher than the 2022 equivalent. North Carolina's election board noted a 37% increase in early voting compared to 2018, while South Carolina surpassed its entire 2022 early vote count by Monday, despite only five days of early voting remaining.

Kansas saw Republican Senator Roger Marshall leading in early ballots, with around two-thirds ahead of 2022 levels, according to the Secretary of State's office. Registered Democrats accounted for 44% of early voters in these states, compared to 31% for Republicans and 25% for unaffiliated or minor-party voters. Experts caution against interpreting these figures as a vote count prediction, as party affiliation does not indicate candidate support.

Women comprised 56% of early voters in Georgia, where in-person voting broke the state's midterm record on Thursday. However, with tens of millions more Americans expected to vote on Election Day, the early results do not guarantee the final outcome.