A handful of polling stations across the United States reported technical issues with casting ballots during the midterm elections on November 3, 2026, prompting election officials to delay poll closing times to ensure voters could cast their ballots.
Technical glitches surfaced at multiple polling locations throughout the United States on Tuesday, disrupting the voting process and forcing election officials to extend polling hours. Al Jazeera reported that these incidents, which officials described as minor, affected locations across several states including New York, Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, and Pennsylvania.
Technical Failures in Westchester County and Beyond
In Westchester County, New York, north of New York City, machines designed to automatically read physical ballots encountered trouble because the paper stock used for the ballots was too thick. Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey, reporting from Tarrytown, New York, noted that election officials began collecting the affected ballots to be counted manually later.
The tabulating machines in question are manufactured by Liberty Vote, a company formerly known as Dominion. Dominion faced intense scrutiny and unverified allegations from US President Donald Trump regarding past election vote counts.
County officials stated that the ballots would be taken to the Board of Elections with a police escort to prevent the spread of conspiracy theories. Attorneys and representatives from all political parties will be present during the manual count.
Saloomey reported that election officials reassured the public that every vote would be counted manually once the polls closed. Officials also confirmed that this specific paper-thickness issue had not been reported in other districts across New York or the United States, despite dozens of jurisdictions utilizing the same voting system.
| Location | Reported Technical Issue | Official Response |
|---|---|---|
| Westchester County, New York | Ballot paper too thick for optical scanners | Collecting ballots for manual count with a police escort and party representatives present |
| Broward County, Florida | New safety feature malfunction | Voting delayed by 20 minutes at the start of the day |
| North Carolina (Seven Counties) | Widespread technical issues | Board of Elections considering extending voting by an hour |
| Maricopa County, Arizona | Power outage at a school polling station | Polling station temporarily closed |
| Pennsylvania (Several Counties) | Machine setup issues | Voting extended by half an hour |
Voting Delays Strike Multiple Regions Across Several States
Beyond New York, voting delays disrupted proceedings in several other regions. In Broward County, Florida, a new safety feature malfunctioned at the start of the day, delaying voting by 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina Board of Elections weighed extending voting hours by one hour across seven counties following widespread technical issues. In Arizona, a power outage forced the temporary closure of a polling station located at a school in Maricopa County.
Pennsylvania also experienced disruptions. Several counties in the state extended voting by 30 minutes due to what local officials characterized as machine setup issues.
