More than 13.8 million early votes have been cast in 44 states as of Thursday, according to data from election officials as well as Edison Research and Catalist.
Florida continues to have the most early votes cast for the midterms, with more than 1.9 million. Texas, California and Georgia have also each recorded more than 1 million votes cast.
Georgia is home to several competitive statewide races this year, including for governor, where incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp faces a repeat of four years ago’s battle with Democrat Stacey Abrams. Also, in the Senate, Republican Herschel Walker is challenging Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in a race that could decide control of the chamber next year.
Some Florida counties began in-person early voting this week, but all counties are due to start on Saturday. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is the favorite to win a second term amid talk of a potential 2024 presidential bid. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is also on the November ballot as he seeks a third term against Democratic Rep. Val Demings.
In California, the gubernatorial and Senate races top the state’s midterm elections. Governor Gavin Newsom is running for re-election and US Senator Alex Padilla is seeking a full six-year term. Several US House races in Southern California and the state’s Central Valley are also expected to be close.
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, another potential 2024 candidate, is facing Democrat Beto O’Rourke in his bid for a third term. The state is also staging three key races for the US House of Representatives in as many districts in South Texas, where Republicans hope to build on their recent gains among Latino voters.
Some voter data comes from Catalist, a company that provides data, analytics, and other services to Democrats, academics, and nonprofits advocating for a variety of issues and provides information on who is voting before November.
