Four in the registered voters in the United States say that they have already voted or plan to vote early for the upcoming Midterm elections. in 2010 only 26% of voters voted early compared to 41% this year.

Early voters this year are still below levels from the 2020 election where 64% of voters planned to vote early. While 32% then planned to vote on Election Day, per Gallup. Though it is unclear how much the coronavirus pandemic boosted early voting in 202 because early voting has, historically, been more common in presidential elections than in midterms.

Senior Citizens were more inclined to cast their ballot early as opposed to younger voters. And early voting is most popular in the Western U.S with 65% of voters in the west planning to vote early. 41% in the south vs 28% in the East and midwest intend to vote before Election Day.

Additionally, more Democrats than Republicans are saying they will vote early with a 22% difference. In the past, the two parties differed very little or not at all on when they planned to vote.

Regardless of when they plan to vote, Gallup found that the majority of voters no matter which political party they belong to, plan to vote in person (63%). 25% plan to vote by absentee ballot and 5% are unsure how they will vote.

Gallup didn’t ask about respondents preferred voting method in prior midterm elections. In 2020 however, 60% of register voters planned to vote in person and 35% by absentee ballot. Which indicates there will be less voting by mail this election cycle.

75% of Republicans say they plan to vote in person while 56% of Democrats and 59% of Independents. 39% of Democrats say they will vote by mail with 29% of independents and 18% of Republicans joining them.

Of those who responded to Gallup’s poll and planned to vote before Election Day, 57% say they will do so by absentee and 36% in person.

The data appears to indicate the following of when and how people may vote:

• 52% will vote in person on Election Day
• 16% will vote in person before Election Day
• 25% will vote by absentee ballot before Election Day
• 2% will vote by absentee ballot on Election Day, presumably by dropping it off at their precinct location
• 5% are unsure how they will vote

In 2020 31% of voters planned to vote in person on Election Day, 31% in person before Election Day, 35% by absentee ballot before Election Day and 1% by ballot on Election Day.

Partisan differences in early voting that were first seen in 2020 persist today with more voters planning to cast their ballots before Election Day. The part differences in mail-in vs in-person voting also persist. Which may again lead to a “red-mirage” where early results indicate Republican victories but turn blue after mail-in ballots are counted.