More than 24 million people had already cast early or mail-in ballots in the 2026 midterms as of October 24, according to NBC News' national tracker. The page showed 24,104,420 mail-in and early in-person votes counted. About 13.2 million came by mail and about 10.9 million were cast in person, the tracker said.

Among those early votes on the October 24 NBC update, registered Democrats were 47%, Republicans 35% and others 18%. That share can still shift as more ballots arrive. NBC said the national total aggregates daily state figures from TargetSmart and state officials.

The New York Post, using TargetSmart and NBC News state data as of October 17, reported that 54% of early and mail voters then were Democrats, 30% were Republicans and 16% were independents or other. The Post said Democrats held early edges in several Senate races. It also said Republicans, including candidates such as former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan, still need a big Election Day vote to close gaps.

Both parties warn that early ballot share is not the same as the final result. Many Republican voters prefer to cast ballots on Election Day, the New York Post framing stressed. Virginia was already seeing a flood of early turnout versus 2022, the Post said. NBC's tracker will keep updating through the final stretch before November. About 57.5 million mail ballots had been requested or sent nationwide on the same NBC page, a separate figure from ballots already cast. Parties will watch whether late mail and Election Day in-person votes erase the early Democratic edge.

What we know: NBC counted more than 24 million early and mail ballots as of October 24, while a October 17 Post tally had Democrats at 54% of early voters then.
What we don't: Whether the early Democratic edge will hold once Election Day votes are counted.