Early Vote Day Report: Day 7
Data through Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026
Snapshot
In-person voting slows through the first full week: in each of the last four general elections it fell every day from Monday to Wednesday, and Thursday was lower still. This year too: 171,916 voted in person on Wednesday, the fewest of any weekday so far, but 38% more than on 2022's Wednesday (124,614).
Top takeaways
- The Democratic turnout edge widened to 9.7 points on Wednesday. 20.3% of registered Democrats have voted and 10.6% of registered Republicans; after Tuesday the gap was 8.8. On 2022's Wednesday it moved +0.1 points, to 1.5.
- Republicans had their best day yet on Wednesday, and still ran well behind 2022. Wednesday's 174,829 ballots were 38.9% Democratic, 27.0% Republican and 33.9% unaffiliated. On 2022's Wednesday, the split was 38.0% Democratic, 32.8% Republican and 29.0% unaffiliated.
- Voters under 30 are up 99% from this point in 2022; young Republicans are down 11%. 79,132 voters under 30 have cast ballots, 7.2% of all ballots (5.0% in 2022). Young Democrats are up 125% and young unaffiliated voters up 128%. Republicans are 8.9% of under-30 ballots, against 20.0% in 2022.
- In SD-34, an open Cabarrus County seat that leaned R+6.8 in 2024, registered Republicans have gone from casting the most ballots to the fewest. At this point in 2022, Republicans cast 38.0% of its ballots, Democrats 32.2% and unaffiliated voters 29.6%; now Democrats cast 38.3%, unaffiliated voters 36.4% and Republicans 25.1%. Democratic ballots are up 85% and unaffiliated up 91%, against +2% for Republicans, and 27% of Democratic ballots come from people who did not vote in 2022.
- In the House seats to watch, the Democratic turnout edge grew most on Wednesday in HD-115 and HD-35. Their gaps grew +2.1 and +1.3 points, to 17.9 and 14.1; at this point in 2022 they were 6.5 and 4.1. The edge is wider than in 2022 in all 23 House seats to watch.
