Voter participation was strong across Michiana in Tuesday’s midterm election, with early voting numbers showing a significant increase over four years ago.

In St. Joseph County, nearly 30,000 people cast ballots before Election Day.

That’s roughly 8,000 more than in the 2022 midterms. Elkhart County also reported steady early voting, with more than 12,600 people voting in person or through traveling election boards by last Friday.

More than 1,400 mail-in ballots had also been returned.

Statewide, early in-person voting increased by about 40 percent compared to 2022.

Final turnout percentages for St. Joseph and Elkhart counties have not yet been verified.