Which states are leading early voting in 2026 midterms?

Key Points:

• Over 41 million voters nationwide have cast early ballots, representing more than a third of the total votes from the 2022 midterm elections, according to the University of Florida Election Lab.
• Texas leads with early voting exceeding 70% of its 2022 turnout amid a competitive Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton; Texas requires voters to provide an excuse to vote by mail.
• Georgia has seen over two million early ballots, about 58% of its 2022 turnout, with key Senate and governor races featuring incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
• Competitive states like Ohio and Michigan report significant early voting, with Ohio's early ballots making up nearly 31% of its 2022 turnout and Michigan seeing 1.5 million early votes, over 80% by mail.
• Several states, including Mississippi, Alabama, and New Hampshire, restrict mail voting to those with valid excuses, while others like Tennessee and North Carolina report early voting rates above 55% of their 2022 midterm turnout.