Midterm 2026: Election Day chaos in NY, ME, GA

Voters across the United States are casting ballots in the 2026 midterm elections, with all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, and 36 governorships up for grabs. The University of Florida Voting Lab reports that more than 59 million Americans have already voted early. Polls begin closing at 7 p.m. Eastern Time in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. Control of Congress and the trajectory of President Trump's legislative agenda now rest with the electorate.

Technical issues disrupted the voting process in New York and Georgia. The New York State Board of Elections stated that a late programming change in one Westchester County municipality caused problems with voting machines in that area. The change was never loaded onto Election Day machines elsewhere in the county. Westchester County Board of Legislators officials said every eligible vote will be counted despite ongoing scanner issues.

In Georgia, Fulton County officials reported two separate ballot machine issues affecting two polling locations and roughly 1,000 early-voting ballots. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he does not expect these issues to delay the release of results.

Law enforcement and federal prosecutors addressed security concerns in Maine and Kansas. Biddeford Police in Maine are investigating reported vandalism outside Senator Susan Collins' office south of Portland. The department received a call for vandalism just before 11 p.m. Monday. In Kansas, federal prosecutors indicted a Postal Service worker accused of stealing thousands of pieces of mail, including nearly 400 political mailers supporting Republican candidates.

Candidates weighed in on the day's proceedings. Senator Collins, who is trailing in polls against Democrat Troy Jackson, told reporters in Houlton that the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day. Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, running against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, said he felt really good about where the race stands after voting Tuesday morning. Iowa Democrat Josh Turek also cast his ballot in Council Bluffs, saying he is feeling great.

Oklahoma federal authorities accused a man of sending hundreds of letters containing white powder to public officials and media outlets ahead of both the 2024 and 2026 elections. In Michigan, state data shows that 32.9% of active registered voters had cast ballots by 7 a.m. Tuesday. Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson voted in Forsyth County and said the experience reinforced his confidence in the state's voting system.