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Democrats tout momentum as early voting rises ahead of midterms

Early voting is surging ahead of the midterms, with more than 21 million ballots already cast and older voters leading turnout.
Democrats tout momentum as early voting rises ahead of midterms
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President Donald Trump is continuing to campaign for Republican candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections as early voting picks up across the country.

Trump stopped in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday night to campaign for Republican Senate nominee Ashley Hinson. He is scheduled to travel to Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday to rally for gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and other Republicans on the ballot.

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More than 21 million Americans have already cast ballots in the midterm elections, according to the University of Florida. Early voting in a number of states is outpacing levels seen at the same point in the 2022 midterm elections.

New ratings from the Cook Political Report also show 19 seats moving toward Democrats, a shift Democratic officials are highlighting in the closing stretch of the campaign.

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Polling has indicated Democrats are more motivated than Republicans to vote, though a complete partisan breakdown of early voting is not available.

Among states that provide party-registration information, registered Democrats account for about 46% of early ballots cast, compared with about 30% for registered Republicans and 23% for independent voters. Party registration does not necessarily indicate which candidates those voters supported.

Older Americans are also accounting for a significant share of the early vote. In states where age information is available, voters 65 and older account for about 52% of early ballots cast.

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The totals include ballots cast during in-person early voting and by mail. In some states, in-person early voting has outpaced previous levels. Many requested mail ballots have yet to be returned, meaning the current totals represent only part of the expected vote.

Polling has suggested Democrats have an enthusiasm advantage heading into the midterms, but the early-voting figures do not show whether that advantage will translate into stronger overall turnout.