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More than 43 million Americans have voted early in the 2026 midterm elections

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 4 outlets across the spectrum.

4 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Early Voting Here sign with American flags beside marigolds, with a man walking past a brick building.
Image via The Epoch TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

The BBC and the Associated Press report that more than 43 million Americans had voted early in the 2026 midterm elections by late October, with early voting running well ahead of past midterms. The AP counts 6.3 million Texans who had voted early as of Wednesday, a 50 percent increase over the same point four years earlier. The BBC, citing University of Florida Election Lab data, puts Texas above 5.8 million ballots cast, about 1.75 million more than 2022. The BBC also reports that Democratic early ballots have risen in states that record party registration, while Republican totals are generally similar to 2022. The Epoch Times counts eight states past their 2022 early totals by Oct. 28, with at least 14 others well ahead of their 2022 pace.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. More than 43 million Americans had voted early by late October.

    Reported byFar Left1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe
    Center
    BBC News, PBS NewsHour

  2. Early voting in Texas is far above 2022 levels, according to figures from the Associated Press and the BBC.

    Reported byFar Left1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe
    Center
    BBC News, PBS NewsHour

  3. A state-by-state count reports eight states past their 2022 early voting totals by Oct. 28, with at least 14 more well ahead of their 2022 pace.

    One outletThe Epoch Times· Far Right

  4. According to University of Florida Election Lab data cited by the BBC, Democratic early ballots have risen in states that record party affiliation, while Republican totals are generally similar to 2022.

    One outletBBC News· Center

  5. According to the BBC, Hispanic communities are showing much higher early turnout than usual.

    One outletBBC News· Center

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • Texas early voting totals as of late October 2026

    The BBC, citing University of Florida Election Lab data, reports more than 5.8 million Texas ballots cast, about 1.75 million above 2022. The AP reports 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, against 4.2 million at the same point four years earlier, a 50 percent increase. The articles give different totals and dates, so the figures are not directly comparable.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All three sides report early voting running well ahead of past midterm pace. The center and left put the national total above 43 million, while the right counts eight states past their 2022 early totals.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    Left-side coverage is one Associated Press report, under a headline stressing a jump in early voting across Senate battlegrounds and millions more voters ahead of Election Day.

    Early voting jumps across Senate battlegrounds as millions more Americans vote ahead of Election Day
    The Boston GlobeFar LeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    2 outlets

    Center headlines lead with the national total or the early-voting surge: the BBC cites more than 43 million ballots, and PBS runs an Associated Press report on millions more voters.

    More than 43 million ballots cast so far in midterms early voting surge
    BBC NewsCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    The right's only supplied coverage is one Far Right chart package, headlined on states surging past 2022 early totals and presented state by state.

    In Charts: Early Voting in Several States Surge Past 2022 Totals
    The Epoch TimesFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

Mantle found no loaded language in this coverage. Every headline and opening was checked against Mantle’s published word list, and Mantle’s AI read 3 of the 4 articles in context when it wrote the analysis. Straight reporting often has none.

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

  • early voting jump in Senate battlegrounds
  • 50 percent Texas increase
  • millions more voters before Election Day

Leaves out

  • Democratic early ballot increase by party registration
  • eight states past 2022 early totals

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The Boston GlobeFar LeftAssociated Press report

    Early voting jumps across Senate battlegrounds as millions more Americans vote ahead of Election Day

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Early voting is continuing to significantly outpace the last midterm election, with millions more Americans casting ballots in advance and particularly sharp increases in states hosting competitive Senate races, according to an Associated Press analysis of …

    Read at The Boston Globe (opens in a new tab)

    Also published by PBS NewsHour. It counts once.

From the center

2 outlets

Leads with

  • national early ballot total
  • Hispanic and battleground-county turnout
  • pace against past midterms

Leaves out

  • eight states already past 2022 early totals

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • BBC NewsCenter

    More than 43 million ballots cast so far in midterms early voting surge

    Hispanic voters have helped drive the early voting numbers, which appear to outpace overall turnout for previous elections in some battleground counties.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • PBS NewsHourCenterAssociated Press report

    Millions more Americans vote ahead of Election Day as early voting jumps across Senate battlegrounds

    PBS NewsHour published a report that is shown in full at The Boston Globe. The headline is the one PBS NewsHour gave it.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • states past 2022 early totals
  • state-by-state charts
  • voter interest in 2026
  • decade-long rise in turnout

Leaves out

  • national total of more than 43 million early voters
  • Texas early voting totals reported by the BBC and AP

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    17 hr 41 min later

    Its first report, Oct 30, 9:31 AM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    BBC News, Oct 29, 3:50 PM EDT

  • Right

    19 hr 21 min later

    Its first report, Oct 30, 11:11 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. BBC NewsCenterOct 29, 3:50 PM EDT
  2. The Boston GlobeFar LeftOct 30, 9:31 AM EDT
  3. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 30, 10:44 AM EDT
  4. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 30, 11:11 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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