MORE than 51.3 million Americans have voted early ahead of Tuesday's US midterm elections, surpassing the previous record of 45.9 million set in 2022, according to data from the University of Florida Election Lab.
The record turnout comes as voters prepare to decide control of Congress, with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate's seats contested.
The Republican Party currently holds majorities in both chambers.
Data recorded up to Saturday showed that Democrats accounted for 43.1 per cent of early votes across 27 states that register voters by party affiliation, compared with 31.8 per cent for Republicans.
The figures reflect voters' party registration rather than their actual choices of candidates.
Pennsylvania recorded one of the widest gaps, with registered Democrats accounting for 65 per cent of early votes, against 25 per cent for Republicans.
In Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, traditionally Republican-leaning states, early voting by Democrats has nearly matched or exceeded that of Republicans, despite the smaller number of registered Democratic voters.
However, Florida, Michigan and Texas have shown signs of stronger Republican participation in early and postal voting.
In Florida, Republicans led Democrats by three percentage points, compared with a 6.4-point advantage in 2022.
In Texas, Republicans accounted for 45 per cent of early voters despite representing only 36 per cent of registered voters, according to voter data firm L2.
In Michigan, the firm's figures showed that 30 per cent of registered Republicans had voted early, compared with 23 per cent of registered Democrats.
Meanwhile, Cook Political Report on Friday shifted its ratings in favour of Democrats in 12 House races.
The election forecaster classified 18 House races and seven Senate contests as toss-ups, with neither party holding a clear advantage.
“We know that early voters tend to be more Democratic. That has been a feature of elections for a long time.
“On Election Day, the composition of the electorate shifts substantially towards Republicans. So Democrats need to build an advantage through early voting to offset what is going to happen on Election Day,” University of Florida Election Lab director Michael McDonald told Bloomberg.
Early voting has traditionally been used by both parties, but voting patterns changed during the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2020, many Democratic supporters opted for postal voting as a precaution, while Republicans were more inclined to vote in person on Election Day.
However, TargetSmart senior adviser Tom Bonier said the trend was beginning to change.
President Donald Trump had repeatedly blamed postal voting for his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, alleging widespread electoral fraud.
In March, Trump signed an executive order directing the US Postal Service to introduce new requirements for handling postal ballots, including the use of voter lists and tracking measures.
However, on Sept 14, the Supreme Court rejected a request to overturn a lower court injunction preventing the postal service from enforcing the new rules ahead of the midterm elections.
In recent weeks, Trump has also softened his stance, urging supporters to vote early or by mail if they preferred that method. - November 2, 2026
