TEXAS EARLY VOTE EXPLODES: 6.3 MILLION ALREADY CAST, UP 50% FROM 2022

More than 6.3 million Texans had voted early as of Wednesday, compared with 4.2 million at the same point four years ago — a 50% increase — according to an Associated Press analysis of voting data five days before Election Day.

Texas is deciding closely watched Senate, House and governor's races, and the surge there is the sharpest in the country, the analysis found.

Advance voting has also increased more than 30% from the same point four years ago in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas, all states with competitive Senate races.

Nationally, more than 51 million Americans had already cast ballots by Saturday, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab, passing the previous midterm early-vote record.

North Carolina ended early in-person voting on Saturday afternoon, and Georgia's early voting ended Friday, leaving Election Day precinct voting as the remaining option in those states.

A larger early-vote total does not by itself prove final turnout will rise by the same amount, since an October ballot can replace one that would otherwise have been cast on Election Day — but the pace of voting points to intense interest in Tuesday's contests.