US Midterm Early Vote Tops 51 Million, Outpacing 2022 Records

The count of early ballots in the United States has surpassed 51 million ahead of the midterm elections. This figure exceeds the total recorded in the 2022 cycle, where 46 million people voted before the official election day. Data from the University of Florida Election Lab tracks these numbers in real time.

The method of casting these ballots is split between in-person visits and mail returns. Of the more than 51 million votes already cast, 28,133,515 were submitted at physical polling places. The remaining early votes were returned via postal mail. The lab's tracker distinguishes between these two channels to provide a detailed view of voter behavior.

An additional roughly 40 million mail-in ballots have been requested but have not yet been returned. These outstanding votes may be added to the final tally of early participation. The potential inclusion of these ballots could further widen the gap between the current turnout and the 2022 levels.

The 2022 midterm elections set the previous baseline for early voting, with 46 million total early ballots recorded. The current 2026 figures indicate a higher level of pre-election activity than that established four years ago. The Florida lab's data serves as the primary reference point for this comparison across the country.