Over 50 Million Early Votes Cast Before Midterms as Trump's Election Role Draws Scrutiny

More than 50.5 million Americans had cast early ballots as of Saturday morning, three days before the Tuesday, November 3 midterm elections, according to a University of Florida analysis. That is nearly 5 million more than the total early votes in the 2022 midterms. In states that report party registration, 10.7 million registered Democrats had voted, compared with 7.8 million registered Republicans, though those affiliations do not show how ballots were actually cast. In Texas, more than 7 million people had already voted early. Republicans are defending a 53-47 Senate majority, and Democrats are targeting traditionally conservative states such as Texas, Alaska and Kansas in hopes of taking control. A loss of Congress by Republicans could endanger President Donald Trump's legislative agenda. Americans living in Mexico are also voting remotely, saying they want to protect democracy amid political division at home. Jonathan Diaz of the Campaign Legal Center said the Trump administration has tried to insert the federal government into nearly every part of the election process. He said that, even where it failed to change rules or pressure local officials, it created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. An AP-NORC poll found 55 percent of Democrats and 38 percent of Republicans are confident the final count will be accurate.

Left-leaning coverage, from The Guardian US and CNN, centers on voters. The Guardian leads with the early-voting record, the University of Florida figures, the Democratic edge in registered early voters and polling showing unhappiness with Trump's presidency, along with the widened Senate map. CNN's piece takes a human angle, featuring Americans in Mexico who vote remotely and cite the future of democracy as their concern. Neither excerpt focuses on administration efforts to alter voting rules. France 24, the alternative outlet, offers a distinct angle, with a headline about an "atmosphere of fear" and Trump moving to curtail voting rights. It cites Diaz, the AP-NORC confidence gap and Trump's past false claims of fraud, and says many administration efforts failed. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.