More than 43 million Americans had voted early by Oct. 29, an Associated Press analysis found, as campaigns made final appeals before a Nov. 3 election that will determine control of Congress.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) lists Nov. 3, 2026, as the general election date. All 435 House seats and about one-third of the Senate’s 100 seats are up for election; USAGov says the results will determine which party controls each chamber for the next two years.
The AP’s review counted early in-person votes and mail ballots returned by Oct. 29 across 47 states and Washington, D.C. Its comparable 2022 count was nearly 10 million lower, though that tally covered 48 states plus Washington. Both counts reflect ballots recorded five days before Election Day. They do not show which candidates received the votes.
In states that report party registration, about 6.8 million early voters were registered Democrats and 5.2 million were registered Republicans, AP reported. The breakdown shows voters’ party affiliation, but not which candidates they selected.
AP identified affordability and President Trump’s unpopularity as prominent themes in the campaign. Trump rallied in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday, Oct. 30, and urged supporters to vote. In a video posted by the White House, he called the contest “the most important midterm elections ever.”
Trump said he plans to hold rallies Sunday in Iowa and Kansas after canceling earlier visits, AP reported. The outlet described both states’ Senate races as competitive.
Former President Bill Clinton campaigned Friday in Tupelo, Mississippi, for Democratic Senate candidate Scott Colom. “You can’t put MAGA first. You have to put Mississippi first,” Clinton said, according to Mississippi Today. The outlet reported that Colom’s campaign is highlighting household cost pressures and access to health care while criticizing Trump’s tariffs.
The latest appearances add to campaign activity ahead of the Nov. 3 congressional vote.
