Americans Flock to Vote Early as Hints Emerge of Republican Strength

“It is very close to presidential-level turnout of Black voters,” Lauren Groh-Wargo, the campaign manager for Stacey Abrams, said at a news conference on Monday.

Nationally, Republicans are hoping that their focus on issues like inflation will drive their voters to the polls.

“Not that some of the other issues aren’t important, abortion and things like that, but I definitely think the economy, that’s the most important issue, and the energy crisis,” Deb Tamny of Red Lion, Pa., said at a rally on Wednesday for Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania.

Many Democratic voters, for their part, are cognizant that midterm dynamics usually favor the party out of power in the White House, but they worry about what they see as this year’s existential stakes.

“I tell my students, it flips every two years,” said Angelo Florestano, 63, a high school social studies teacher from Superior, Wis., wearing an “America needs public schools” T-shirt. “Unfortunately, it goes back and forth, which in a way is, I think, good for our political system.”

Holding up an “I voted” sticker, he added: “But hopefully, hopefully, I can use this sticker again. That is a worry for me, personally.”

Michael C. Bender, Katie Glueck and Reid J. Epstein contributed reporting.