Indiana early voting surges as in-person lines swell ahead of midterms
Statewide early ballots have risen by more than 60,000 compared to the 2022 cycle, driven by a sharp jump in voters casting ballots in person.
By Martin Reynolds ·
Voters across Indiana cast 476,802 early ballots in the week leading up to the November 3, 2026, general election. That total exceeds the number of early votes recorded during the same period in the 2022 midterm by 61,345.
The increase is driven entirely by in-person voting. Residents submitted 405,786 early ballots at polling places this year, a rise of roughly one-third from the 296,792 recorded in 2022. In contrast, mail-in voting has dropped by more than 43 percent. Only 64,721 ballots were mailed this year, down from 113,808 in the previous cycle.
Indianapolis shows a similar pattern to the state at large. In Marion County, early voting totals are 13,145 higher than in 2022. In-person voting in the city nearly doubled, with 40,867 ballots cast compared to 20,789 in the previous midterm. Mail-in votes in the county fell by more than 41 percent.
Jeremy Reuben, a digital producer and reporter for WFYI, reported the figures. The station points voters to its 2026 Voter Guide for candidate information and directs them to vote.indy.gov for absentee voting details.
The data indicates a shift in how Indiana voters are participating early in the election. The surge in in-person activity has offset the decline in mail-in requests, resulting in the highest early turnout total for this point in a midterm cycle since at least 2022.
Source: WVXU
