U.S. Politics · Elections · 6 outlets (L 0 · C 5 · R 0 · 1 not rated)
More than 43 million ballots cast early ahead of midterms
More than 43 million Americans have already voted early in the midterm elections, according to BBC News and Fortune; ABC News reported a figure of nearly 45 million.[1, 2, 6] The early voting numbers have surpassed where turnout stood at this point in the 2022 midterm election, according to ABC News and an Associated Press analysis cited by PBS NewsHour.[1, 5] BBC News reported that Hispanic voters have helped drive the early voting numbers.[6]
Fortune reported that more than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, compared with 4.2 million at the same point in 2022, a 50% increase.[2] Early voting is rising sharply in several states, with particularly sharp increases in states hosting competitive Senate races, according to PBS NewsHour and International Business Times.[3, 5] International Business Times reported that polls show Democrats leading or competitive in Senate races in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and Maine.[3]
Why it matters Texas early voting has risen 50% over the same point in 2022, reaching more than 6.3 million ballots.[2]
Covered by ABC News, BBC News, PBS NewsHour and 3 more
Read first WATCH: State of the race with 4 days until midterm vote
Where accounts differ (2)
- Earlier and later reportsABC News reported nearly 45 million people have already voted, while BBC News and Fortune reported more than 43 million ballots cast.[1, 2, 6]
- BBC News · Not rated · Oct 29, 3:50 p.m. ET More than 43 million ballots cast so far in midterms early voting surge
Hispanic voters have helped drive the early voting numbers, which appear to outpace overall turnout for previous elections in some battleground counties.
- ABC News · Center · Oct 30, 8:51 a.m. ET WATCH: State of the race with 4 days until midterm vote
Nearly 45 million people have already turned out to vote, and those early voting numbers have surpassed where the numbers were at this point in the 2022 midterm election.
- BBC News · Not rated · Oct 29, 3:50 p.m. ET More than 43 million ballots cast so far in midterms early voting surge
- Earlier and later reportsFortune reported more than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, while Newsweek reported Texas early voting was nearing 6 million.[2, 4]
- Fortune · Center · Oct 30, 9:40 a.m. ET More than 43 million Americans have already voted in the midterms — nearly 10 million more than in 2022
More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, compared with 4.2 million at the same point four years ago, a 50% increase.
- Newsweek · Center · Oct 30, 1:50 p.m. ET Texas Early Voting Nears 6M in Tight Talarico-Paxton Senate Race
That is a 50 percent increase from the 4.2 million Texans who had voted by the same point in the 2022 midterms.
- Fortune · Center · Oct 30, 9:40 a.m. ET More than 43 million Americans have already voted in the midterms — nearly 10 million more than in 2022
How balanced is this coverage?
Of the 5 rated outlets that covered it, 0 are left of center, 5 are center and 0 are right of center. 1 more is not rated.
Too few left- or right-leaning outlets to compare: 0 of 42 left-leaning, 5 of 33 center and 0 of 38 right-leaning outlets covered it.
- Left: none.
- Leans left: none.
- Center: PBS NewsHour (−0.48), Newsweek (−0.30), Fortune (−0.25), ABC News (−0.19), International Business Times (−0.14).
- Leans right: none.
- Right: none.
Not rated BBC News. Not placed: they have no lean score.
Each dot is an outlet that covered it, placed by its audience-lean score (Eady et al. 2025), which measures who shares its links, not how accurate it is. The ticks under the line are all 113 rated outlets Tare reads.