More than 52 million Americans had already voted early in the 2026 midterm elections as of Sunday, according to a live update from Le Monde.fr published on 1 November 2026. The figure covers ballots cast before election day, which the French outlet is tracking as part of its rolling coverage of the contests.
The scale of the early turnout comes as French media assess the political mood around the vote. Sud Ouest describes Donald Trump as anxious and as anticipating a defeat in the midterms, while Le Point published commentary from Gérard Araud arguing that the elections raise broader questions about American democracy. Le HuffPost, for its part, examined what the end of Trump's term might look like, ranging from an unexpected narrow win to a heavy loss.
Coverage has also focused on the consequences for Europe. L'Express looked at what a Democratic victory could change on issues including Ukraine, NATO and tariffs. The outlet's framing suggests European capitals are watching the results closely for signals on security and trade policy.
Le Monde.fr's count reflects only the number of early ballots reported at the time of publication and does not predict the outcome of any race. No results were available in the material reviewed.
What to watch next: the final early-voting totals and turnout patterns as election day approaches, and how French and other European outlets interpret the results once they are declared.
