news-tldr.com

The important facts, the open questions, and the sources — without the churn.

← Latest briefing

Politics

More than 43 million Americans have already voted early, AP analysis finds

Texas and South Carolina show sharp early-vote gains as Election Day nears, per AP analysis of voting data.

Updated Oct 30, 2026 · 16:14 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • Early voting nationwide has passed 43 million ballots, nearly 10 million more than in 2022, according to an AP analysis.[PBS NewsHour]
  • Texas early voting reached more than 6.3 million as of Wednesday, a 50% rise from four years earlier.[PBS NewsHour]
  • South Carolina early voting is up 83%, where voters are choosing a successor to the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.[PBS NewsHour]
  • Reported totals differ by source, with Election Lab reporting more than 39 million early voters as of Wednesday afternoon.[ABC News]

Key facts

  • More than 43 million Americans had voted early in person or by returned mail ballot, nearly 10 million more than in 2022, according to an AP analysis.[PBS NewsHour]
  • More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, a 50% increase over 4.2 million at the same point four years earlier, per AP data.[PBS NewsHour]
  • Prof Mike McDonald, who runs the Election Lab database, says more than 5.8 million ballots have already been cast in Texas.[BBC News]
  • The Election Lab at the University of Florida reported more than 39 million Americans had voted early as of Wednesday afternoon.[ABC News]
  • Early voting in South Carolina is up 83%, where voters are choosing a successor to the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.[PBS NewsHour]

What remains uncertain

  • Reported national early-vote totals differ between sources, at 43 million in the AP analysis and 39 million in Election Lab data as of Wednesday afternoon, and the provided reporting does not reconcile them.[ABC News · PBS NewsHour]
  • Texas early-vote figures differ across reports, with AP data citing 6.3 million and McDonald citing 5.8 million ballots cast, and the reporting does not reconcile them.[BBC News · PBS NewsHour]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.