Early Voting Surges as Trump and Clinton Rally for Midterms
Over 48 million Americans have cast early ballots for the midterm elections amid record turnout in Minnesota and high-profile rallies by Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.
More than 48 million Americans have cast early ballots for the midterm elections, with turnout significantly exceeding 2022 levels. Data from the University of Florida Election Lab indicates a pattern resembling the 2018 blue wave, with registered Democrats accounting for 44% of early votes compared to 31% for Republicans. Minnesota reported a new record of nearly 729,000 early votes, while South Carolina saw an 83% increase in early participation.
Donald Trump has campaigned across 26 states since September, recently holding a rally in Florida and rescheduling visits to Iowa and Kansas. He stated that the federal government would be watching the process closely to prevent cheating. In response, the United States Department of Justice plans to deploy unarmed election monitors to every state. Meanwhile, former President Bill Clinton held a rally in Mississippi to mobilize Democratic supporters.
Legal and political conflicts have emerged in several states. In Alaska, U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed a criminal probe into a scheme to confuse voters by recruiting a candidate with the same name as Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. In Michigan, Representative Haley Stevens criticized Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed over advertisements linking U.S. support for Israel to domestic grocery prices. Republican candidate Mike Rogers praised Stevens' criticism, while El-Sayed urged the party to focus on defeating Rogers.
The Cook Political Report projects a potential Democratic majority in the House, while the Senate remains highly competitive. To influence the outcome, Elon Musk has invested nearly $500 million to support Republican candidates.
