43 million Americans vote early as Texas turnout jumps 50 percent

More than 43 million Americans have already cast ballots in person or returned mail ballots, a figure nearly 10 million higher than the count from four years ago. The Associated Press compiled this data five days before Election Day, providing a snapshot of participation in a contest that will determine control of Congress.

The increase is steepest in states with competitive Senate races. In South Carolina, where voters are selecting a successor to the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, early voting is up 83 percent compared to the same point in 2022. Kansas also saw a 34 percent rise, with roughly 83,000 more ballots cast than in the previous midterm.

Texas leads the nation in raw numbers. More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, compared with 4.2 million at the same time in 2022. That represents a 50 percent increase. Harris County, which includes Houston, recorded 862,700 early votes, up from 564,500 in 2022.

The state hosts closely watched contests for governor and the Senate. Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott seeks reelection against Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Trump visited Texas earlier this week, his third trip to the state in a month, as Republicans work to defend a state where Democrats have not won a statewide election in more than three decades.

Other battlegrounds are seeing similar momentum. Michigan recorded roughly 409,000 more early votes than in 2022, a 32 percent increase. This is the first midterm election in which early in-person voting is available statewide in Michigan, a provision voters approved in November 2022. In Maine, early voting is up 44 percent as Republican Sen. Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson.

Nationally, the data shows a split in early turnout by party affiliation in states that track the information. About 6.8 million Democrats and 5.2 million Republicans have cast early ballots. These figures do not account for all early voters nationwide or indicate which candidates received their votes.

The election occurs two years into President Donald Trump’s second term. Republicans currently hold both the House and the Senate. The party seeks to maintain its 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats are hoping to pull off upsets in states that have long favored Republicans, including Kansas and South Carolina.