Midterm Election Voter Turnout in US 2026 | Early Voting, Age Groups & State Records

Midterm Election Voter Turnout in the US has ranged from 36.7% of eligible voters in 2014 to 50.1% in 2018, and it was 46.1% in 2022. Midterm Election Voter Turnout in the US for 2026 is not final yet, but more than 57 million early ballots were cast before Election Day, a midterm record.

Data note: this report is incomplete because the election is ongoing. Early vote counts, state totals and final turnout rates will change, and new data will be added soon.

Midterm Election Voter Turnout in the US 2026 – Introduction

Midterm Election Voter Turnout in the US is the number everyone is watching on November 3, 2026. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot. Voters had a head start this year. More than 57 million Americans cast ballots before the polls opened on Tuesday, and the total is already above the entire early vote of the 2022 midterms. That is a record for a midterm, and it arrived with millions of Election Day ballots still to come. Early voting is now the main way many Americans cast a ballot, and it shapes every turnout story this year.

This report pulls together the latest verified numbers on early voting, voting method, state counts, age groups and past midterm turnout. It compares 2026 with 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. Some figures are final. Others are running totals that move every hour. Final 2026 turnout will not be known until election offices finish counting, so treat every live figure as a snapshot. Sources are named under each table, and the strongest numbers come from university and federal data.

Midterm Election Voter Turnout in the US 2026 – Interesting Facts

Source: University of Florida Election Lab; Associated Press; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; state election offices; data as of November 3, 2026.

The headline number is the early vote. At 57 million, it beats the 45.9 million early ballots counted across the whole 2022 cycle. In 2018, about 38.4 million early and absentee votes were in by Election Day. In 2014 the figure was just over 21 million. The jump shows how fast voters moved away from the Election Day line. The number of states offering in-person early voting grew from 24 in 2000 to 47 in 2026, plus Washington, DC.

The state rows tell a second story. Texas passed 7 million early ballots, and the Associated Press found early voting there ran 74% above the same point in 2022. California sent most of its ballots by mail, while Georgia set a midterm record at 2.8 million. The age rows show the usual gap. Voters 65 and older make up 50.4% of early voters in states that report age, and voters aged 18 to 25 make up only 4.5%.

How Many People Voted Early in the 2026 Midterms? Daily Early Vote Growth

Source: University of Florida Election Lab, early voting tracker; Axios; Newsweek; Al Jazeera; data as of November 3, 2026.

The early vote climbed from 12.6 million on October 20 to 57 million by Election Day. That is more than 44 million ballots in two weeks. The biggest jump came in the final week, when the count rose from 33 million to 46 million in three days. Voters crossed the 2022 early total of 45.9 million on October 30, four days before the polls opened. Dallas County in Texas set a record on day one, with 76,079 in-person votes.

Early totals do not equal final turnout. MIT election scholar Charles Stewart has warned that voters may simply be shifting from Election Day to early voting. Survey data from MIT shows about 40% of ballots came before Election Day in 2016, 50% in the 2022 midterms and 60% in 2024. Republicans have also gained ground on Election Day in recent cycles. A Pew survey after the 2024 election found nearly 40% of Republicans voted in person on Election Day, against 28% of Democrats.

2026 Midterm Voter Turnout by State: Texas, California, Florida and Georgia Early Votes

Source: University of Florida Election Lab; Associated Press; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; state election offices compiled by civicAPI; data as of November 3, 2026.

Four states carry most of the volume. Texas leads with more than 7 million early ballots, almost all cast in person. California is close behind at 6.66 million, and 6.36 million of those arrived by mail. Florida has 5.47 million early ballots, which already equals 70% of every vote cast in the state in 2022. Georgia reached 2.8 million, the most for any midterm in its history. About two-thirds of its young early voters skipped the 2022 midterm.

The percentages matter as much as the raw counts. Georgia stood at 25.9% of its 2022 total on October 20, the highest share among reporting states that day. Virginia and Vermont followed. Michigan is voting early in person statewide for the first time in a midterm, after voters approved it in 2022. Kansas more than doubled its early total from 2022, and Maine, North Carolina and Ohio each rose more than 30%. Final state turnout rates will not be ready until Election Day ballots are counted.

2026 Early Voting Methods: Mail Ballots vs In-Person Early Voting

Source: University of Florida Election Lab; state election offices compiled by civicAPI; data as of early November 2026, state counts vary by reporting date.

In-person early voting edges out mail nationally. Of roughly 55 million ballots in 47 reporting states, 28.4 million were cast in person, or about 52%, and 26.6 million came by mail, or about 48%. Those state-level totals trail the University of Florida headline of 57 million, because states report on different schedules. President Donald Trump tried to curb mail voting before the election and did not succeed.

State habits drive the split. California mails a ballot to every registered voter, so 6.36 million of its 6.66 million early ballots came by mail. Texas and Georgia run the opposite model, with long in-person windows and few mail ballots. Florida sits in the middle, at 2.02 million by mail and 3.47 million in person. Mail voters skew older. CNN exit poll data shows voters 65 and older rose from 27% of mail voters in 2020 to 37% in 2024.

Historical Midterm Election Voter Turnout 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026

Source: University of Florida Election Lab / United States Elections Project; NBC News; Pew Research Center; data as of November 3, 2026.

Midterm turnout moves in waves. 2010 reached 41.8%. 2014 fell to 36.7%, the lowest since 1942. 2018 jumped to 50.1%, the highest midterm rate since 1914. 2022 slipped to 46.1%, still the second-best midterm in more than 50 years. The 2022 rate fell from 2018 in 42 of 50 states. Methods differ by source. Pew counted House votes and put 2022 at 45.1% and 2018 at 48.1%.

The early vote has grown on a separate track. It rose from 21 million in 2014 to 38.4 million in 2018, 45.9 million in 2022 and 57 million in 2026. A growing early share does not guarantee a record final rate. A University of Florida election data analyst found early voting ahead of its 2022 pace in nearly every state analyzed and called it “very possible” that turnout tops the 2018 rate. That is a forecast, not a result. The final 2026 turnout figure will fill the last row of this table.

2026 Midterm Voter Turnout by Age Group: Who Votes in Midterm Elections?

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement, 2022; University of Florida Election Lab; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; data as of November 3, 2026.

Age is the strongest predictor of midterm turnout. In 2022, 27.6% of eligible citizens aged 18 to 24 voted, against 66.8% of those 65 and older. Voters 65 to 74 led all groups at 68.0%. Older voters made up 30.4% of everyone who voted but only 23.8% of eligible citizens. Voters aged 18 to 29 made up 11.7% of the electorate and 19.6% of eligible citizens, a gap of 7.9 points.

The 2026 early vote repeats the pattern. In states that report age, voters 65 and older cast 50.4% of early ballots, and voters 18 to 25 cast 4.5%. Georgia shows a small shift. More than 310,000 Georgians aged 18 to 29 voted early, or 11% of the total, and about two-thirds of them skipped 2022. Voters 50 and older still cast nearly 65% of Georgia’s early ballots. Young voters often vote late, so Election Day will change these shares.

2026 Midterm Early Voter Profile: Party, Gender and Race Participation

Source: University of Florida Election Lab; VoteHub; state election offices; data as of late October to November 3, 2026.

Party registration is only available in some states, and many large states do not report it. In the states that do, registered Democrats cast 40.1% of early ballots and registered Republicans cast 33.0%. Independents and third-party voters cast the remaining 26.9%. Early voting does not predict the winner. Republicans are expected to gain ground on Election Day, as in recent cycles, and registration does not always match how people vote.

Gender and race data come from a narrower set of states. Women made up 54.0% of early voters and men 44.3%. In Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina, the only states that publish race, 59.4% of early voters were non-Hispanic White and 28.4% were non-Hispanic Black. Hispanic voters made up 24% of the Texas early vote, one point above their share of the final 2024 count. The Census Bureau recorded a midterm registration rate of 69.1% in 2022, the highest in 30 years.

State Midterm Turnout Records 2026: Highest and Lowest Benchmarks to Beat

Source: University of Florida Election Lab, 2022 state files; Pew Research Center; data as of November 3, 2026.

The 2022 map sets the benchmarks that every state will be measured against this week. Oregon led at 62.3%, followed by Maine at 60.8% and Minnesota at 60.4%. Tennessee finished last at 31.0%, ahead of Mississippi at 32.5% and West Virginia at 35.4%. The spread between first and last was 31.3 points. Oregon votes entirely by mail, and its high rate shows how much method and access shape turnout.

State records are still open in 2026. Georgia already holds a midterm early vote record at 2.8 million. Texas, Florida and California each posted large early totals. Whether any state beats its own final 2018 or 2022 rate depends on Election Day and late-counted mail ballots. The 2018 leaders included Minnesota, Colorado, Montana, Oregon and Wisconsin, all above 60%. Final state rankings for 2026 will come after certification.

Midterm Election Voter Turnout in the US 2026 – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the midterm election voter turnout in the US in 2026?

Final turnout is not known yet. More than 57 million Americans voted early before Election Day, a midterm record. The final rate will come after all ballots are counted, including Election Day votes and late mail ballots. The 2022 rate of 46.1% is the mark most analysts compare against.

How many people voted early in the 2026 midterm elections?

More than 57 million ballots were cast early, according to the University of Florida Election Lab. State trackers that add up reporting states show about 55 million, split between 26.6 million mail ballots and 28.4 million in-person votes.

Is 2026 midterm turnout higher than 2022?

Early turnout is higher. The 2026 early vote passed the 45.9 million early votes of the entire 2022 cycle on October 30, four days before Election Day. Final turnout compared with the 46.1% rate in 2022 is still unknown, because Election Day ballots have not been counted.

What was voter turnout in the 2022 midterm election?

The University of Florida Election Lab put 2022 turnout at 46.1% of eligible voters. Pew counted 107.7 million House votes, or 45.1%. The Census Bureau survey measured 52.2% of citizens aged 18 and older.

What was the highest midterm voter turnout in modern history?

2018 holds the modern record at 50.1% of eligible voters, the highest midterm rate since 1914. The lowest recent midterm was 2014, at 36.7%.

Which states have the most early votes in 2026?

Texas leads with more than 7 million early ballots. California has about 6.66 million, Florida about 5.47 million, Georgia 2.8 million and North Carolina about 2.4 million. Texas shows the sharpest gain over its 2022 pace, 74%.

Which age group votes the most in midterm elections?

Voters 65 and older. They turned out at 66.8% in 2022, and voters 65 to 74 reached 68.0%. Voters aged 18 to 24 turned out at 27.6%.

How many states allow early voting in 2026?

47 states plus Washington, DC offer in-person early voting in 2026. That is up from 24 states in 2000. Michigan is holding its first midterm with statewide early in-person voting, after voters approved it in 2022.

Are Democrats or Republicans voting early in 2026?

In states that report party registration, registered Democrats cast 40.1% of early ballots and registered Republicans cast 33.0%. Republicans usually gain on Election Day, so this split does not predict the final result.

Does early voting mean higher overall turnout?

Not always. Some researchers say voters are shifting from Election Day to early voting without a rise in total turnout. The 2018 midterms also set early voting records, and the final rate still depended on Election Day crowds. The share of ballots cast early rose from 40% in 2016 to 50% in 2022 and 60% in 2024.

When will final 2026 midterm turnout numbers be available?

Election offices keep counting after Election Day, and states certify results over the following weeks. The Census Bureau usually publishes its survey-based voting report the next spring. This report will be updated as data arrives.

How many voters are eligible to vote in the 2026 midterm elections?

Turnout rates use the voting-eligible population, which counts citizens aged 18 and older and removes ineligible felons where state law applies. The University of Florida Election Lab publishes that denominator. The Census Bureau uses a different base, citizens aged 18 and older, which is why its 2022 rate of 52.2% is higher than the Election Lab rate of 46.1%.

Why do older voters make up so much of the early vote in 2026?

Older voters have more flexible schedules, and many states let age qualify as a reason to vote by mail. Voters 65 and older cast 50.4% of early ballots in states that report age. They were 30.4% of all voters in 2022, so the early vote leans even older than the full electorate.

Which states had the highest midterm voter turnout in 2022?

Oregon led at 62.3%, followed by Maine at 60.8% and Minnesota at 60.4%. Tennessee was lowest at 31.0%. The 2022 rate fell from the 2018 level in 42 of 50 states.

Where can I check live midterm election voter turnout in the US?

The University of Florida Election Lab runs the national early vote tracker, and state election offices post their own counts. The Associated Press reports race results and vote counts on election night. This report will be updated as new data arrives.

How many seats are on the ballot in the 2026 midterm elections?

All 435 seats in the US House of Representatives are on the ballot, along with 35 US Senate seats. Control of Congress for the next two years is at stake, which is one reason early voting is running so high in battleground states such as Georgia and Michigan.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.