Early Voting Sets Record in US Midterms, Democrats Lead Initial Ballots

Nearly 48 million Americans have already cast their ballots in the US midterm elections, setting a new early voting record. By midday Friday, the University of Florida’s Election Lab recorded 47,922,669 early votes nationwide, surpassing the previous midterm record of 45.9 million ballots cast before Election Day in 2022.

Registered Democrats accounted for a larger share of these advance votes, making up around 44 percent of early voters, compared to 31 percent for Republicans. Unaffiliated and minor-party voters constituted the remaining 25 percent. This surge in participation has been particularly notable in states with closely contested Senate races, where the outcomes could shape control of the chamber during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s presidency.

Key states reported significant increases in early voting. Texas recorded over six million early votes by Wednesday, with in-person participation approximately 50 percent higher than at the same stage in 2022. North Carolina saw a nearly 37 percent rise compared to four years ago, while South Carolina surpassed its entire 2022 early voting total by Monday, with five more days of early voting remaining. Kansas also witnessed a substantial increase, with advance ballots running around two-thirds higher than in 2022, according to the secretary of state’s office.

University of Florida political scientist Michael McDonald, who oversees the Election Lab, highlighted increased participation among Black and Hispanic voters, especially in heavily Hispanic communities along the Texas-Mexico border. In Georgia, early in-person voting broke the state’s midterm record on Thursday, with women accounting for 56 percent of ballots cast compared to 44 percent for men.

However, experts caution against interpreting early voting figures as a definitive indication of the final outcome. Party registration does not reveal which candidates voters support, and millions more Americans are expected to vote on Election Day. Republicans have historically tended to turn out in greater numbers on polling day in recent elections, which could potentially narrow the Democrats’ early lead. Higher advance voting figures may also reflect voters casting their ballots earlier rather than an overall rise in turnout.

Editor's note: The draft is a complete and accurate summary of the provided text, capturing all statistical data and expert context without invention.