US midterm elections 2026: Severe weather and voting machine glitches disrupt polling

Voters across several US states faced disruptions on Tuesday as severe weather and voting machine breakdowns hampered polling in the 2026 midterm elections.

In New York’s Westchester County, a major technical glitch prevented electronic voting machines from accepting paper ballots. The Westchester County Board of Elections issued a statement advising voters that their ballots would remain secure in emergency storage bags until they could be scanned and counted manually.

Security concerns also surfaced elsewhere in the country ahead of the vote. Federal law enforcement officials arrested an Oklahoma City man, Robin Martin, charging him with conveying false information and sending hundreds of threatening letters containing suspicious white powders to state election officers, lawmakers, and media outlets. The FBI confirmed that tests on the powders revealed they were harmless yeast and flour.

The midterms carry immense stakes for President Donald Trump’s second term, determining whether Republicans maintain control of Congress or whether Democrats regain majorities to block administration policies. Approximately 210 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots to fill all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 of the 100 Senate seats, and 36 state governorships.

Key state polling hours and conditions

Even beyond Earth, voting proceeded without technical fault. Three NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station, including Indian-origin astronaut Anil Menon alongside Luke Delaney and Jessica Watkins, cast electronic ballots from orbit more than 400 kilometres above Earth, sending them securely to election authorities in Texas.

The election unfolds against a backdrop of economic anxiety, with annual inflation currently at 3.7 per cent, up from 3 per cent at the start of President Trump's second term. Voters are also weighing foreign policy developments, following limited US military strikes on Iran's Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz on the eve of the election.