Voter turnout by US congressional district 2026 is not final: about 48.8% of eligible Americans voted in the November 3 midterms, the second-highest midterm rate in over a century, but no source has published certified turnout for all 435 districts. The highest verified district rates in recent midterms were about 70% in Minnesota’s 3rd and Colorado’s 2nd districts in 2018, and the lowest was 29.0% in Arizona’s 7th.
Voter Turnout by US Congressional District 2026 – Introduction
Voter turnout by US congressional district 2026 is the number readers want most, and it is the number nobody can publish yet. The midterms took place on November 3, 2026. States are still counting mail ballots, and they certify results over several weeks. Until then, a ranking of all 435 districts would rest on guesses. This report gives the confirmed 2026 numbers and the best verified district benchmarks.
You get national and state turnout, early-return rates for Colorado’s districts, county rates inside battleground districts, and the last verified district rankings from 2018 and 2022. Several states also drew new maps for 2026, so district lines differ from earlier years. Compare rankings across years with care. Every figure reflects reporting available on November 7, 2026, and preliminary numbers will change.
Interesting Facts About Voter Turnout by US Congressional District 2026
KEY TURNOUT RATES (% OF ELIGIBLE OR CITIZEN VOTERS)
Maine 2026 (top state) | █████████████████████████████████ 65.78
2018 top districts (~) | ███████████████████████████████████ 70
U.S. 2026 (preliminary) | ████████████████████████ 48.76
West Virginia 2026 (low) | ████████████████ 33.33
Arizona 7th, 2018 (low) | ██████████████ 29.0| Fact | Data |
|---|---|
| National Turnout 2026 (preliminary) | 48.76% |
| Ballots Counted So Far | 122.7 million |
| Early Ballots Before Election Day | 54.5 million |
| Highest State Rate 2026 | Maine, 65.78% |
| Lowest State Rate 2026 | West Virginia, 33.33% |
| Texas Midterm Ballots | 9.8 million (record) |
| Minnesota Midterm Ballots | 2.8 million or more |
| Highest District Rate 2018 | About 70% (MN-3, CO-2) |
| Lowest District Rate 2018 | 29.0% (AZ-7) |
Source: University of Florida Election Lab (preliminary estimates, November 5, 2026); U.S. Census Bureau (2018 district analysis); Texas Secretary of State; Minnesota Secretary of State.
The national rows set the baseline. The Election Lab estimates 48.76% of eligible voters cast a ballot, from 122.7 million ballots counted so far. Early voting reached 54.5 million ballots by November 1. Texas set a midterm record with 9.8 million ballots, and Minnesota passed 2.8 million. These totals will rise as late ballots arrive.
The district rows come from 2018, the last year the Census Bureau ranked districts by turnout. Minnesota’s 3rd and Colorado’s 2nd led at about 70%, while Arizona’s 7th trailed at 29.0%. That is a spread of about 41 points inside one country. Voter turnout by US congressional district 2026 will likely show a similar gap once certified.
Voter Turnout in the 2026 Midterms vs 2022, 2018 and 2014 Nationwide
MIDTERM TURNOUT, % OF VOTING-ELIGIBLE POPULATION
2014 | ██████████████████ 36.4
2018 | █████████████████████████ 50.05
2022 | ███████████████████████ 46.10
2026 | ████████████████████████ 48.76| Year | Election Lab Rate | Pew House-Vote Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 36.4% | 34.4% |
| 2018 | 50.05% | 48.1% |
| 2022 | 46.10% | 45.1% |
| 2026 | 48.76% (preliminary) | Not yet published |
Source: University of Florida Election Lab; Pew Research Center analysis of official House returns; Al Jazeera citing Election Lab (November 5, 2026).
The two rate columns use different methods. The Election Lab counts total ballots against the voting-eligible population. Pew counts only votes cast in House races. That is why 2018 reads 50.05% in one column and 48.1% in the other. Both series show the same shape: a low in 2014, a record in 2018, a dip in 2022, and a rebound in 2026.
The 2026 rate of 48.76% sits 1.29 points below 2018 and 2.66 points above 2022. It also beats 2014 by 12.4 points. Analysts at the Election Lab call it the second-highest midterm rate in more than a century. Preliminary rates usually climb as counties finish counting, so the gap to 2018 could close.
Voter Turnout by State 2026: Highest and Lowest Rates
2026 STATE TURNOUT, % OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS
Maine | █████████████████████████████████ 65.78
Minnesota | ████████████████████████████████ 65.16
Michigan | ████████████████████████████████ 63.65
Hawaii | ███████████████████ 37.68
Oklahoma | ██████████████████ 37.08
West Virginia | ████████████████ 33.33| State | Turnout | Rank Position |
|---|---|---|
| Maine | 65.78% | Highest |
| Minnesota | 65.16% | Second highest |
| Michigan | 63.65% | Third highest |
| Hawaii | 37.68% | Third lowest |
| Oklahoma | 37.08% | Second lowest |
| West Virginia | 33.33% | Lowest |
Source: University of Florida Election Lab preliminary estimates, as reported by Al Jazeera (November 5, 2026); Minnesota Secretary of State.
Maine leads at 65.78%, followed by Minnesota at 65.16% and Michigan at 63.65%. Minnesota’s secretary of state said the state could finish near 67%, and more than 2.8 million residents voted. At the other end, West Virginia sits at 33.33%, Oklahoma at 37.08%, and Hawaii at 37.68%. The top state beats the bottom state by 32.45 points.
State rates shape district rates. A district in Maine or Minnesota starts with a high ceiling, while a district in West Virginia or Oklahoma starts low. Within a state, city and suburban districts often differ sharply. That is why the highest-turnout districts in 2018 sat in Minnesota and Colorado, two states that also rank near the top statewide.
Voter Turnout by Congressional District 2026: Colorado Ballot Return Rates
COLORADO BALLOTS RETURNED BY DISTRICT (NOV 1-2, 2026)
CD-4 | █████████████████████ 42
CD-3 | ████████████████████ 40
CD-5 | ███████████████████ 39
CD-8 | █████████████████ 35
CD-1 | █████████████████ 34| District | Ballots Returned | Area |
|---|---|---|
| CD-4 | About 42% | Highest return rate among districts reported |
| CD-3 | 40% | Western and southern Colorado |
| CD-5 | 39% | El Paso County |
| CD-8 | 35% | Northern Denver suburbs, Greeley, part of Larimer |
| CD-1 | 34% | Denver, lowest return rate |
Source: Colorado Public Radio, using Colorado Secretary of State voter files (November 2, 2026).
These are early return rates, not final turnout. They show how many registered voters had already returned a ballot by November 1-2. The 4th District led the districts reported, at about 42%, and 56% of Democrats there had already voted. The 3rd District reached 40%, the 5th reached 39%, and the 8th reached 35%. Statewide, 1.6 million ballots were in.
The 1st District in Denver had the lowest early rate, at 34%. A low early rate does not mean a low final rate. Denver voters often return ballots late, and Colorado counts ballots that arrive on Election Day. The gap between CD-4 and CD-1 is 8 points at this stage. Final district numbers need certified totals before anyone can rank them.
Voter Turnout in Key House Districts 2026: County Rates in Florida and Michigan
COUNTY TURNOUT, % OF REGISTERED VOTERS
Livingston, MI | █████████████████████████████████ 67
Clinton, MI | █████████████████████████████████ 67
Pinellas, FL | █████████████████████████████████ 66.25
Eaton, MI | ████████████████████████████████ 65.7
Hillsborough | ███████████████████████████████ 63.11
Pasco, FL | █████████████████████████████ 59.28
Ingham, MI | █████████████████████████████ 59
Polk, FL | ████████████████████████████ 56.44| County | Turnout | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Livingston, MI | 67%+ | Part of MI-7, about 114,000 ballots |
| Clinton, MI | About 67% | Down from 71% in 2022 |
| Pinellas, FL | 66.25% | 406,622 ballots |
| Eaton, MI | 65.7% | Part of MI-7, 77.2% in 2024 |
| Hillsborough, FL | 63.11% | 519,837 ballots, near FL-14 |
| Pasco, FL | 59.28% | 241,684 ballots |
| Ingham, MI | About 59% | Up nearly 4 points from 2022 |
| Polk, FL | 56.44% | 259,553 ballots |
Source: Florida Division of Elections unofficial results via WTSP (November 2026); WKAR Public Media (November 4, 2026).
County rates are a proxy for district rates, because counties sit inside or across district lines. Florida’s statewide rate reached 60.81% of 13.7 million active registered voters, with 8,333,641 ballots cast. That is about 7 points above 2022 and below the 63% of 2018. Pinellas led the Florida counties here at 66.25%, while Polk trailed at 56.44%.
Michigan’s counties ran higher. Livingston and Clinton both sat near 67%, and Eaton hit 65.7%. Eaton’s rate was 77.2% in the 2024 presidential election, a reminder that midterm turnout runs about 11 points lower. Clinton fell from 71% to about 67%, so not every county rose. These rates use registered voters as the base, so they run higher than the eligible-voter rates used for states.
Voter Turnout by Congressional District 2026: Primaries and the NJ-11 Special Election
2026 PRIMARY AND SPECIAL ELECTION TURNOUT (%)
Oregon primary | █████████████████████ 41.9
Texas primary | ████████████ 24
West Virginia | ██████████ 21.0
Maryland primary | ████████ 16.7
NJ-11 special | ███████ 14| Contest | 2026 Turnout | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Primary | 41.9% | 31% historic average |
| Texas Primary | 24% | 13% historic average |
| West Virginia Primary | 21.0% | 19% historic average |
| Maryland Primary | 16.7% | 21% historic average |
| 22 Reporting States (average) | 26.0% | 15.4 million ballots |
| NJ-11 Special Primary (Feb. 5) | 14% | 83,280 ballots of 591,154 eligible |
Source: The Midterm Project turnout tracker (state certified and preliminary figures); New Jersey Division of Elections, official special primary turnout (February 2026).
Primary rates show where voters were engaged months before November. Oregon posted 41.9%, 10.9 points above its average. Texas reached 24%, 11 points above its 13% norm, and set a record for a midterm primary. West Virginia rose 2 points to 21.0%. Maryland fell short at 16.7% against 21%. Across 22 reporting states, 15.4 million ballots produced a 26.0% average.
The NJ-11 row is a true district figure. The February special primary drew 83,280 ballots from 591,154 eligible voters, or 14%. Essex County reached 16%, Morris reached 14%, and Passaic reached 11%. That is a 5 point spread inside one district. Special elections run far below general-election rates, so treat 14% as a floor, not a forecast for voter turnout by US congressional district 2026.
Voter Turnout by Region: 2022 Benchmarks for 2026 District Rankings
2022 TURNOUT BY REGION, % OF VOTING-AGE CITIZENS
West | ███████████████████████████ 54.7
Midwest | ███████████████████████████ 54.1
Northeast | ██████████████████████████ 53.8
South | ████████████████████████ 48.9| Region | 2022 Turnout | Note |
|---|---|---|
| West | 54.7% | Highest region |
| Midwest | 54.1% | Not statistically different from West |
| Northeast | 53.8% | Not statistically different from West |
| South | 48.9% | Lowest region |
| U.S. Total | 52.2% | Second highest midterm since 2000 |
| Early or Mail Voting | 49.8% | 10.0 points above 2018 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement, November 2022 (released May 2023 and April 2024).
The Census survey sets the regional baseline. The West led at 54.7% and the South trailed at 48.9%, a gap of 5.8 points. The Midwest and Northeast sat at 54.1% and 53.8%, which the Census does not treat as different from the West. Nationwide, 52.2% of voting-age citizens voted in 2022, below 53.4% in 2018. The Census method uses survey answers, so rates run above ballot-count rates.
Voting habits shifted too. Almost half of voters, 49.8%, used early or mail voting in 2022, 10.0 points above 2018. That change affects district counts. Districts in states that mail ballots to everyone report faster early returns, while districts in states with in-person voting finish later. Expect Southern districts to rank lower in 2026 as well, but certified counts must confirm it.
Highest and Lowest Congressional District Turnout Benchmarks: 2018 and 2022 Rankings 2026 Readers Use
2018 DISTRICT TURNOUT, % OF VOTING-AGE CITIZENS
Minnesota 3rd | ██████████████████████████████████ ~70
Colorado 2nd | ██████████████████████████████████ ~70
Arizona 7th | ██████████████ 29.0| Benchmark | Finding | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Highest District Rate | MN-3 and CO-2, about 70% | 2018 |
| Lowest District Rate | AZ-7, 29.0% | 2018 |
| Cook Report Ranking | CO-2 second at 73% of eligible voters | 2018 |
| Highest Raw Vote Count | MI-1 | 2022 |
| Lowest Raw Vote Count | NY-15 | 2022 |
| Districts Above 300,000 Votes | 91 (59 elected Republicans) | 2022 |
| Districts Below 200,000 Votes | 98 (66 elected Democrats) | 2022 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, “How Many Voted in Your Congressional District in 2018”; Cook Political Report via CBS Colorado; Sabato’s Crystal Ball, University of Virginia Center for Politics (2022 House analysis).
The 2018 numbers are the cleanest district rates on record. Minnesota’s 3rd and Colorado’s 2nd led at about 70% of voting-age citizens. Cook’s ranking put Colorado’s 2nd at 73% of eligible voters, second only to Minnesota’s 3rd, with Colorado’s 4th in fifth place and the 6th in twelfth. Arizona’s 7th trailed at 29.0%. The difference comes from the denominator each source used.
The 2022 analysis counted raw House votes, not rates. Michigan’s 1st had the most votes and New York’s 15th the fewest, a gap of nearly 300,000. No district reached 400,000 votes. A total of 91 districts passed 300,000, and 98 fell below 200,000. The 25 highest-turnout districts split 13 to 12 between parties, and their average winning margin was 22 points, versus 34 in the 25 lowest.
Frequently Asked Questions About Voter Turnout by US Congressional District 2026
What Was Voter Turnout by US Congressional District in 2026?
Certified district-level turnout is not available yet. The national rate is about 48.76% of eligible voters, preliminary. Districts will be ranked after states certify results, which takes several weeks.
Which Congressional District Had the Highest Voter Turnout in 2026?
No verified 2026 district ranking exists yet. In 2018, Minnesota’s 3rd and Colorado’s 2nd led at about 70%. Minnesota had the second-highest state rate in 2026 at 65.16%.
Which Congressional District Had the Lowest Voter Turnout in 2026?
No verified ranking exists yet. In 2018, Arizona’s 7th had the lowest rate at 29.0%. West Virginia had the lowest state rate in 2026 at 33.33%.
What Was National Voter Turnout in the 2026 Midterms?
The University of Florida Election Lab estimates 48.76% of eligible voters cast 122.7 million ballots. That is the second-highest midterm rate in more than a century, behind 2018.
Which State Had the Highest Voter Turnout in 2026?
Maine, at 65.78%. Minnesota followed at 65.16% and Michigan at 63.65%. Minnesota’s secretary of state said final turnout could approach 67%.
Which State Had the Lowest Voter Turnout in 2026?
West Virginia, at 33.33%. Oklahoma followed at 37.08% and Hawaii at 37.68%.
How Is Congressional District Turnout Measured in 2026?
Three bases are common: the voting-eligible population, the citizen voting-age population, and registered voters. The Census uses citizens, the Election Lab uses eligible voters, and many states report registered voters. The base changes the rate.
Why Can’t I Compare 2026 District Turnout With 2022 Directly?
Several states drew new congressional maps for 2026, so district lines changed. A district number in 2026 may cover different voters than the same number in 2022.
When Will 2026 District Turnout Rankings Be Published?
After states certify results. Cook Political Report says its House vote tracker will run until all 50 states certify, and counting can take weeks. Rankings usually follow in the months after.
How Many People Voted Early in the 2026 Midterms?
About 54.5 million ballots were cast early by November 1, the most for any midterm, per the Election Lab. That included about 30 million in person and 24 million by mail.
What Was Turnout in the NJ-11 Special Primary in 2026?
Turnout was 14% on February 5, 2026. A total of 83,280 ballots were cast out of 591,154 eligible voters across Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties.
How Did 2026 Primary Turnout Compare With Past Years by State?
Oregon reached 41.9% against a 31% average, and Texas reached 24% against 13%. Maryland fell below its average at 16.7% versus 21%.
Is Midterm Turnout Lower Than Presidential Turnout in 2026?
Yes, by roughly 10 points or more. Minnesota’s turnout was 76.41% of eligible voters in 2024, versus about 65% in 2026. Eaton County, Michigan, fell from 77.2% to 65.7%.
Which Region Votes Least in Congressional Elections in 2026?
The South. The Census found 48.9% of voting-age citizens voted there in 2022, versus 54.7% in the West.
Did Minnesota Set a Turnout Record in 2026?
Yes for a midterm. More than 2.8 million Minnesotans voted, up from 2,525,873 in 2022 and about 200,000 above the 2018 record.
How Many People Voted in Texas in 2026?
About 9.8 million Texans cast ballots, a midterm record. That equals 51.64% of registered voters, just under 53% in 2018. Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, and Denton counties together cast 2,384,340 ballots.
Why Do Some Congressional Districts Have Higher Turnout in 2026?
State rules, registration methods, and local competition all matter. States with mail voting and same-day registration, such as Minnesota and Colorado, tend to rank high.
Which Michigan Counties Had the Highest Turnout in 2026?
Livingston County led five mid-Michigan counties at more than 67% of registered voters, with about 114,000 ballots. Clinton followed at about 67%, Eaton at 65.7%, and Ingham at about 59%, up nearly 4 points from 2022. Michigan’s statewide rate was 63.65%, the third highest in the nation.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
