2026 Midterm Early Voting Tracker Launches with Millions of Ballots Cast

Key points

• The Get the Facts Data Team is tracking early and mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterm elections, with millions of ballots already cast.
• The data is sourced from the University of Florida Election Lab, which has tracked early voting data since 2008, and is compiled directly from state and regional sources.
• The tracking map shows the number of early votes cast in each state, including mail-in ballots accepted and early votes, but does not show election results.
• In 31 states plus Washington, D.C., voters can register under a party affiliation, and when that data is available, it is included under a state's data.
• Not all states allow or have opened early voting yet, and the data does not show election results, just the number of votes that have been cast.

Background

This tracking effort follows earlier coverage of the 2026 midterm early voting tracker launch and data showing a Democratic surge in key battlegrounds. It also follows President Trump's urging of the GOP base to vote by mail and early, contradicting his previous opposition to mail-in voting. The tracker provides a real-time view of voter participation ahead of the November 3 election, distinct from final outcome projections.

Why it matters

The tracking map provides a real-time view of voter participation ahead of the November 3 election, allowing voters and analysts to monitor early voting trends across the United States. It helps to understand the level of engagement and the potential impact of early voting on the final outcome, without revealing the actual results.

What to watch

The tracking map will continue to update as more early and mail-in ballots are cast, providing a real-time view of voter participation ahead of the November 3 election. The data will be compiled from state and regional sources, and the map will show the number of early votes cast in each state, including mail-in ballots accepted and early votes.