Facts
- Early voting had passed 34 million ballots, cast in person or by mail, as of Tuesday afternoon, October 27, according to the University of Florida Election Lab run by Michael McDonald.
- About 46 million people voted early in the 2022 midterms in total, and the 2026 count is on pace to pass that mark.
- Texas led with more than 5 million early votes, followed by Michigan with more than 1.3 million and Ohio with nearly 1.2 million.
- In Tennessee, early turnout in the first eight days was 57% higher than in 2022.
- Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
- All 435 House seats are on the ballot, along with 33 regularly scheduled Senate seats and special Senate elections in Florida and Ohio.
- Republicans currently hold 53 Senate seats. Democrats hold 45, and two independents caucus with them.
- On October 23 the Cook Political Report shifted 19 House races toward Democrats and rated 17 House races as toss-ups, 12 of them in Republican-held seats. Cook rates seven Senate races as toss-ups.
- Michael McDonald, who runs the University of Florida Election Lab, told Gray News that turnout so far is at least even with the 2018 midterms, which he described as a high-water mark.
- Closely watched Senate contests include Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and Texas.
Source Read Gray News’ early voting report here.
Image I Voted Sticker by Dwight Burdette, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
