More than 43 million Americans have voted early

More than 43 million Americans had voted early in person or returned mail ballots five days before Election Day, nearly 10 million more than at the same point in 2022, according to an Associated Press analysis. Texas was up about 50 percent, with more than 6.3 million early votes as of Wednesday, and Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas were each up more than 30 percent. The data does not show which candidates people voted for. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

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Why it matters

Early turnout is running well ahead of the 2022 midterms in many states, including Texas, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas. The figures show how many people have voted, not which candidates they chose. Anyone who has not voted yet still can on Election Day.

What to watch

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

How each side sees it

Republicans sayPresident Trump told a Florida rally: "You got to vote. Bad things happen when you get too confident, right?"

Democrats sayFormer President Bill Clinton, campaigning in Mississippi, urged people to vote, saying people he cared for had lost "because of those who did not vote at all."

Sources

Checked against 3 established news sources:

Also in this edition

Published Saturday, October 31, 2026. Spot an error? Email [email protected]. See our corrections log and standards.