Black early voting surges across Southern states ahead of 2026 midterms
The gist
Black voters cast over 160,000 more early ballots nationwide than at the same point in 2022.
The surge comes as courts and map fights reshape Black political representation.
How it unfolded
- Oct 15, 2026North Carolina began sending out early voting mail-in ballots.
- Oct 19, 2026Early in-person voting began in Texas.
- Oct 22, 2026Louisiana Secretary of State data showed Black voters were almost 32% of in-person voters on the first day of early voting, the highest share for a comparable opening day since 2008, excluding 2020.