This year’s primary turnout continues a trend that’s been building since Donald Trump’s return to the White House – Democrats are more motivated than Republicans to vote. Voter numbers have surged in Democratic primaries through the first half of 2026, creating a primary electorate that tilts more toward Democrats than in 2018, when Democrats won control of the House during Trump’s first term, or toward Republicans in 2022, when the GOP took back the House during Joe Biden’s term.

Primary Turnout Analysis

Of the 31 states that have held a primary election so far, 20 have held a major statewide primary for both Democrats and Republicans in each of the past three midterm years. Among the states analyzed, 57% of primary voters were cast in Democratic primaries over Republican primaries, up 10 points from the same states in 2022 and 3 points relative to 2018.

The turnout advantage for Democratic primaries has also been consistent across states, particularly when compared to 2022. Turnout has also tended to increase in both parties’ primaries relative to 2018: of the 20 states analyzed, 16 had increases in turnout in Democratic primaries and 14 had increases in Republican primaries.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.