Nearly 50 million Americans have already voted in the United States midterm elections, a record high for a midterm, with polling day still two days away.

More than 49 million people had voted early, in person or by mail, according to figures from the University of Florida Election Lab reported on 31 October. That exceeds the nearly 46 million who voted before Election Day in the most recent midterm election in 2022. Voters go to the polls on Tuesday 3 November to decide which party controls Congress, two years after President Donald Trump began his second term, with Republicans currently controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

What is at stake

Republicans are defending a 53-47 majority in the Senate. A Democratic victory in one or both chambers could lead to congressional investigations into the Trump administration, while a Republican hold would preserve the president's legislative path for the second half of his term. The election is being fought against a backdrop of the war in the Middle East, rising prices and a bitter national debate over immigration and the cost of living.

Polling cited in the early-vote reporting suggests Democratic voters are more enthusiastic about the election, with 46% saying they are very enthusiastic, compared with 30% of Republican voters. Enthusiasm does not by itself decide an election, and early-vote totals do not reveal for whom those votes were cast, since ballots are counted after polls close.

Record early voting

The surge in early voting continues a trend from recent elections, in which mail-in and early in-person voting have grown sharply. Election officials have urged voters to check their registration and polling place in advance, and to allow extra time where queues are expected. Results in the closest races may not be known on election night, as mail ballots continue to be counted in several states.