LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale says the number of registered voters has reached a record high.

Gale said Thursday the state now has 1,219,644 registered voters, a number that exceeds the previous record set in the 2016 general election.

Gale says the number of registration is especially impressive given that the upcoming election is a midterm, which generally have lower turnout than presidential election years.

Gale says nearly 213,791 voters have requested to vote early by mail or in person, or they reside in an all-mail district. But he cautioned voters not to get complacent, noting that 71,311 ballots issued have yet to be returned.