Nearly 50 Million Americans Voted Before Election Day as Early Voting Turnout Surges in Senate Battlegrounds

Millions voted before Election Day

By the end of Monday, roughly 50 million Americans had cast ballots, with Election Day set for the following day. Early voting turnout in major Senate battleground states was notably higher than at the comparable point in the last midterm cycle.

The figures point to a sharp increase in voting before Election Day. The comparison was limited to turnout at this stage of the previous midterm cycle.

Senate race remains uncertain

Democrats were widely expected to take control of the House. Recent polls also indicated a chance for Democrats to flip the Senate, though the chamber’s future remained uncertain.

The polls showed Democrats leading in seven major battleground states. Those included Texas and Kansas, where Senate seats had been held by Republicans for decades.

President weighs in on midterms

The president called the vote “the most important midterm, I believe, in our lifetime” in a speech on Monday. He also acknowledged that the sitting president’s party often loses seats in midterm elections. “For some reason the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms,” the president said, adding that his side had “gave this a very strong shot.”