Early Voting Hits 50 Million in US Midterms as Democrats Surge

America is voting early in a big way. More than 50 million ballots have already been cast ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections, according to a University of Florida analysis. As of Sunday morning, the count hit 53.14 million — 29 million in person and 23 million by mail — out of roughly 210 million registered voters. For comparison, just 46 million had voted early at this stage in 2022.

Democrats are showing up with more enthusiasm so far. More than 11 million registered Democrats have voted early, versus about 8 million Republicans, the university's analysis found. National polls put Democratic support at 51.5 percent and Republican backing at 43.1 percent with two days to go. President Donald Trump's tariff policy and his decision to launch a war with Israel on Iran are weighing on his party, with both blamed for a cost-of-living crisis.

The surge is loudest in battleground Texas, where over 7 million people have already voted — more than 1.5 million above the same point in 2022. South Carolina, a state Trump won by nearly 18 points in 2024, has seen early voting jump 83 percent, according to an Associated Press polling analysis, with open races for governor and US Senate on the ballot. Kansas is up 34 percent as Republican Senator Roger Marshall faces Democratic minister Adam Hamilton. Maine, where Republican Senator Susan Collins faces Democrat Troy Jackson, is up 44 percent, and Michigan has added roughly 409,000 early votes, a 32 percent rise.

So why the rush? The University of Maryland's Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement points to convenience, mobilization, and plain old election anxiety. Some voters want to 'get it over with' or cross it off their list early, the center said. Others are drawn by community events like 'Parties at the Polls' that turn voting into a celebration. Social media is doing its part too — one young voter told Al Jazeera that platforms have 'put voting in the limelight.'

The mail-in wave is notable given Trump's long campaign against it. He has repeatedly cast doubt on mail voting's security, citing debunked fraud claims, even though he has voted by mail himself. In March he signed an executive order directing the US Postal Service to redesign ballot envelopes with special barcodes. Democrats and activists challenged it in court, and last month the Supreme Court rejected Trump's bid to impose the restrictions before these elections. Mail-in ballots now account for a third of all votes cast in the US.

Early numbers don't reveal who anyone voted for, or who will win. But Democratic strategist Celinda Lake told Al Jazeera voters are hungry for change. 'You got a lot of voters who say, I'm going to do a Hail Mary for change, but I hope you do something,' she said. One young voter put it simply: 'We all just really want a better future for everyone, especially like the next generation.'