WASHINGTON, DC — With most election results now known, one thing is clear: Americans turned out in extraordinary numbers to vote in the 2026 midterm elections. According to preliminary estimates from the University of Florida’s Election Lab, approximately 124.3 million Americans cast their ballots, up from approximately 112 million in 2022. The League of Women Voters today celebrates the millions of voters who made their voices heard, the election workers and administrators who made our elections possible, and the hundreds of thousands of voting and civil rights advocates who worked tirelessly to educate, protect, and empower voters.   

This historic turnout marks a significant milestone for the League's Unite & Rise 8.5 initiative, which set an ambitious goal of engaging and mobilizing 8.5 million more voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. With preliminary estimates showing that the increase in voter participation exceeded that benchmark, the League is proud to have played a role in that extraordinary turnout through its nationwide voter education, mobilization, and voter protection efforts. 

"We set an ambitious goal for 2026 midterm voter turnout because the constitutional crisis we declared last year demanded one,” said Celina Stewart, Esq., CEO of the League of Women Voters. "And Americans showed up. That achievement belongs first and foremost to voters who refused to let barriers keep them from making their voices heard. From waiting in line for hours, to walking en masse to and from polling locations, to encouraging friends, relatives, colleagues, and even strangers to cast their ballots, Americans showed up for democracy. This is what people power looks like, and the League is incredibly proud of the role we played in helping voters get the information, resources, and support they needed to participate." 

That people power was reflected in historic levels of participation and representation across the country. According to data from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, early voting among Black and Latino voters increased 35.8% and 46.3%, respectively, compared with the 2022 midterm elections. The League also provided its most comprehensive Election Day coverage ever on VOTE411.org, featuring information on 56,645 candidates running for 29,012 offices nationwide. The election also marked historic milestones in representation, including the election of the nation's first Black woman governors (in Georgia and US Virgin Islands), first Native American woman governor (in Arizona), and first Latina governor (in Texas). 

Throughout this election cycle, the League worked to reach and empower voters across the country. From providing trusted, nonpartisan information through VOTE411 and mobilizing communities, to consistently combating disinformation, to tirelessly challenging threats to voting rights in court, to reminding voters how to overcome barriers at the polls, the League worked alongside its partners to protect the freedom to vote. That commitment continues beyond Election Day, through the counting of every eligible ballot and certification of election results. 

"No political party owns democracy. No elected official owns our votes. Power belongs to the people," Stewart concluded. "This election is a reminder of what happens when Americans exercise that power. We celebrate every voter who made their voice heard, every election worker who made that possible, and every person who stood up to renew our nation’s founding principles and commitment to a participatory democracy." 

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