Early voting begins in U.S. midterm elections

Early voting gets underway

Early voting has begun in the U.S. midterm elections, allowing voters where the process is open to cast ballots before Election Day. Those ballots are part of elections that could change control of Congress.

The opening of early voting is a step in the election process, not an indication of the result. Congressional control will depend on the election outcomes, and the possibility of a change is not a forecast that one will occur.

For voters, the immediate development is that balloting is now underway. The focus remains on elections and voting as the country moves through the midterm process. No individual candidate or single congressional race is the subject of this national development.

What the congressional stakes mean

Control of Congress is the central national issue connected to these midterm elections. A change in control would follow from the election results, not from the timing of when voting begins.

Early voting gives eligible voters another point in the process to cast a ballot before Election Day. Voting must still proceed before the outcome and any change in congressional control can be established.

The next stages are the continuation of early voting, voting on Election Day and the determination of results. Until those steps occur, control of Congress remains an open question. The beginning of early voting marks the start of ballot casting, while the results will resolve whether congressional control changes.