Elections

Florida's 2026 midterm elections take place Nov. 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide. Voters must present a current, valid photo ID with a signature, such as a driver's license, passport, or military ID; those without matching signatures need a secondary ID. Voters lacking acceptable ID, or whose registration record can't be verified on site, may cast a provisional ballot, which is reviewed by the county canvassing board and counted if the voter supplies any needed documentation by 5 p.m. two days after Election Day. Precinct locations are assigned by address and listed through county supervisor of elections websites; voters must cast ballots at their assigned precinct. Mail-in ballots must be returned to election offices or secure drop boxes by 7 p.m. on Election Day, as postmarks no longer count and mail ballots cannot be dropped at polling places. Only U.S. citizens residing in Florida may vote; the registration deadline was Oct. 5. County election officials in South Florida have expressed high confidence in ballot security and accuracy, citing paper ballots, pre-election testing, and audits.

Elsewhere on the same Election Day, Ohio voters headed to polls in a closely watched governor's race alongside contests for all 99 state House seats and 17 state Senate seats. In Cuyahoga County, officials reported polling locations opening on schedule with smooth operations, with polls there open until 7:30 p.m. and anyone in line by closing time guaranteed the right to vote. More than 1.73 million Ohioans had already cast early ballots statewide ahead of Election Day.

Polling stations across Westchester County, New York, are reporting problems with voting machines that are rejecting paper ballots because of their thickness, according to the county's Board of Elections. Affected voters are still able to cast ballots, which are being placed in orange emergency ballot bags to be counted later rather than scanned on-site.

The Board of Elections apologized for the disruption and said it is working to fix the issue quickly, emphasizing that every eligible vote will be counted and urging voters to remain in line. The glitch adds to a string of Election Day machine issues drawing scrutiny in down-ballot and local races.

Utah Democrats are fielding candidates in all but 12 of the state Legislature's 90 races, a sharp increase in competition compared with recent cycles, when the party often left dozens of heavily Republican seats uncontested. Party chair Brian King credits improved candidate recruitment, driven by concerns over data centers, union issues, and legislative changes to referendum and initiative rules, along with organizing momentum from "No Kings" rallies held around the state.

The last comparable year was 2018, when Democrats skipped 18 races; in 2022, by contrast, they left nearly half the seats unchallenged amid an intraparty rift over the party's U.S. Senate nomination. Broader candidate participation could build organizing infrastructure for future statewide races even where wins are unlikely.

Voting machines across Westchester County, New York, began rejecting ballots on Election Day, prompting alerts from local municipalities including the Town of North Salem. The county Board of Elections traced the disruption to the thickness of the paper ballots rather than a machine malfunction, and said voting remained operational throughout. Voters whose ballots could not be scanned were told to place them in secure orange emergency bags, to be counted later under standard procedures.

The issue drew added scrutiny because Westchester is central to New York's 17th Congressional District race between Democrat Cait Conley and Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who both urged voters to stay and vote despite the technical problems.

As Florida voters headed to the polls Tuesday, Democrat David Jolly and Republican Byron Donalds made final stops in Polk County, with Jolly in Haines City stressing housing, healthcare, education and a data center moratorium, and Donalds in Lakeland pledging to continue DeSantis-era conservative policies, lower insurance costs and cut property taxes. A Jolly win would end nearly three decades of GOP control of the governor's mansion, while a Donalds win would make him Florida's first Black governor.

Some Republicans, including DeSantis, had voiced concern over sluggish GOP turnout, and a New York Times/Siena poll found Donalds with only a slim lead despite outraising Jolly and having Trump's and DeSantis's backing, making the race unexpectedly competitive in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic governor since 1994.

Texas voters head to the polls Nov. 3 to decide a slate of statewide and local races. The marquee contest pits Republican Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate, while Gov. Greg Abbott faces Democrat Gina Hinojosa in what is being called his most competitive reelection bid yet. Voters will also choose a lieutenant governor and U.S. House members.

In Tarrant County, Republican incumbent Tim O'Hare and Democratic commissioner Alisa Simmons are competing for county judge, a race watched as a possible signal of whether the historically red county is trending Democratic. Polling places require photo ID, and Tarrant County has fewer vote centers available than in the prior midterm election.

North Carolina's US Senate race, once seen as among the nation's most competitive, has shifted toward Democrat Roy Cooper, who polling shows leading Republican Michael Whatley by a wide margin. In western North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, analysts have moved the race toward Democrats after GOP incumbent Chuck Edwards dropped his reelection bid; Democrat Jamie Ager faces Republican replacement Jennifer Balkcom.

In South Carolina, the Senate seat previously held by the late Lindsey Graham has become unexpectedly competitive, with appointed Senator Darline Graham holding a narrow lead over Democratic challenger Annie Andrews. Outcomes in these races could influence which party controls Congress.

Voters in Minnehaha County, South Dakota, the state's most populous county, head to the polls Tuesday to fill three county commission seats and the auditor's office. Commission candidates include Republicans Brent Hoffman, Jen Bleyenberg and Rick Bonader, Democrat Kenny Anderson Jr. and independent Curt Soehl; incumbents Joe Kippley and Gerald Beninga are not seeking re-election. In the auditor's race, Republican incumbent Leah Anderson faces Democratic challenger Curt Diedrich, who has emphasized modernizing the county's website and election information access. Separately, Captain Josh Phillips, who ran unopposed after winning the Republican primary, will become sheriff, succeeding longtime Sheriff Mike Milstead, who is retiring after nearly 30 years.