Politics · United States · 3 hrs ago
Technical problems delay voting at some US midterm polling places
Technical problems delayed voting at some US midterm polling places on Election Day.
In Westchester County, New York, machines could not read some paper ballots because the paper was too thick, so officials collected them for a manual count.
Officials said those ballots would be counted later at the Board of Elections, with a police escort and representatives from the parties present.
Other disruptions were reported in Florida, North Carolina, Arizona and Pennsylvania, including a power outage and machine setup problems.
Some polling places extended their hours so voters could cast ballots, while North Carolina officials considered further extensions in affected counties.
The problems delayed the release of some results, but officials described the issues as minor and said they were making contingency plans.
The affected votes are still due to be counted, with some counted manually.
Technical problems delayed voting at polling places in several US states during the November 3 midterm elections.
In Westchester County, New York, ballot-scanning machines had trouble with paper that officials said was too thick.
County Executive Ken Jenkins was cited as saying the fault affected 332 polling stations across more than 40 municipalities.
Officials said ballots that could not be scanned would be counted later under established procedures.
Other reported disruptions included a malfunctioning safety feature in Florida, a power outage in Arizona and machine setup issues in Pennsylvania.
- Who
- Voters and election officials at polling places in several US states.
- What
- Technical problems delayed voting and disrupted ballot scanning.
- When
- November 3, 2026, during the US midterm elections.
- Where
- Westchester County, New York, and polling places in Florida, North Carolina, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
- Why
- Reported causes included paper ballots that were too thick, a malfunctioning safety feature, a power outage and machine setup issues.
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North Carolina election officials said they were investigating a possible issue at Vinson-Bynum Elementary School in Wilson.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections said it was tracking minor technical issues in four counties.
North Carolina officials said election results could be delayed and considered extending voting hours in affected counties.
WRAL reported that results would be delayed by at least 45 minutes and that polls had been extended in a few precincts.
- Westchester County
- 332 polling stations affected, according to Ken Jenkins as cited by TASS
- Westchester County
- More than 40 municipalities affected
- Broward County, Florida
- Voting delayed 20 minutes
- Wilson, North Carolina
- Recreation Center voting extended by 15 minutes
- Pennsylvania
- Voting extended by half an hour in several counties
5 sources
Where have there been technical issues so far during US midterm elections?
Lawler speaks with CNN as New York voting machine problem impacts up to 250,000 ballots
Voting machines fail to scan up to 250,000 ballots in New York's county — media
Paper ballots in NY county unable to be accepted by voting machines, will still be counted
Election Day latest: Cooper and Whatley greet voters at polls, possible tech issue in Wilson
What people are saying
Election officials are reassuring that they will be counted manually after everything is done
Our elections administration team is speaking to the county to see if there’s an issue at the Vinson-Bynum Elementary School right now