The facts
The Guardian reported that more than 50.5 million Americans had cast early ballots by the morning of 31 October, citing the University of Florida Election Lab. [1][2]
The Guardian said the total was nearly five million greater than all early ballots cast in the 2022 midterms; this compares early ballots, not final total turnout. [1][2]
Voters' registered party affiliations, where reported, do not establish how individuals voted or predict the national result. [1][2]
Still unconfirmed
- The final early-vote total, Election Day turnout and control of Congress remain unknown before the 3 November election.
Sources
References support the numbered facts above. Source checks: 1 Nov 2026, 09:41 UTC.
- More than 50m Americans cast ballots in early voting with three days to go before midterms
The Guardian · Reporting · 31 Oct 2026
Guardian reports the 50.5 million estimate as of Saturday morning and attributes the analysis to the University of Florida Election Lab.
- Early Vote Tracker for the 2026 Midterms
University of Florida Election Lab · Primary source · 31 Oct 2026
Public tracker maintained by the Election Lab; its interactive values were not readable in the text view, so the exact 50.5 million figure is attributed to the Guardian's analysis.