Early Voting Opens Across U.S. for November Midterms
Voters in multiple states began casting ballots on October 19 for the November 3 midterm elections, featuring high-stakes races in Texas and Florida.
Early voting for the November 3, 2026, midterm elections has commenced across the United States, with millions of ballots already cast. While some states like Maine began polling as early as October 16, a significant wave of early voting opened on October 19 in Texas, Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina.
In Texas, voters are deciding a high-stakes Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico, a contest that has seen over half a billion dollars in television advertising funded largely by Elon Musk. Governor Greg Abbott is also seeking a record fourth term. Meanwhile, Virginia is seeing strong turnout in cities like Lynchburg and Danville, where numbers have doubled compared to the 2022 midterms.
Florida's early voting period runs through October 31 and features a gubernatorial battle between Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly, as well as a U.S. Senate race between appointee Ashley Moody and Democrat Angie Nixon. To facilitate turnout, Palm Beach County launched the Vote Palm Beach mobile app. In Alabama, Escambia County opened 10 polling sites, with officials confirming that operations remain unaffected by Hurricane Isaias.
Data tracking by the Get the Facts Data Team and the University of Florida Election Lab indicates high voter interest. In South Carolina, early voting is also underway for a closely contested U.S. Senate race between Republican Darline Graham and Democrat Annie Andrews.
