Voters in several states encountered malfunctioning voting equipment on Tuesday, as election officials in North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania scrambled to address technical failures that delayed balloting and forced adjustments to polling hours.
In Massachusetts, four precincts in New Bedford reported problems with ballot tabulators early Tuesday. A city spokesperson, Jack Thuon, said an internal wire inside the machines was physically obstructing the slot where voters insert their ballots. The size of the ballot may have exacerbated the issue, he added. Election workers realigned the wires, and the machines were restored to normal operation, according to local reports.
North Carolina’s State Board of Elections approved a series of voting extensions after similar machine malfunctions. The Tabor City Courthouse in Columbus County will remain open until 8:15 p.m., while polling places in Lenoir County will stay open until 8 p.m., Hertford County until 7:55 p.m., and Wilson County until 7:45 p.m. The board said the extensions would push back the release of statewide results by roughly 45 minutes.
In Pennsylvania, setup issues delayed the opening of three Chester County precincts on Tuesday morning. The county granted a petition to extend voting at those locations until 8:30 p.m., while all other precincts in the county will close at the standard 8 p.m. time.
New York’s Westchester County faced a different problem: ballot scanners stopped accepting votes shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m. Election officials instructed voters to continue marking their paper ballots, which would be placed in orange emergency bags for secure storage and later counting.
The disruptions come as several high-profile races are being decided across the country. In Maine, the closely watched Senate contest between incumbent Susan Collins and her challenger is drawing national attention, with polls now closed. Meanwhile, in Maryland, the governor’s race features a rematch between Wes Moore and Dan Cox, and in Iowa, Democrats are targeting three Republican-held House seats.
Further south, Alabama voters are casting ballots under a newly redrawn congressional map, and in South Carolina, the governor’s race between Wilson and Johnson is also concluding. In Virginia, Senator Mark Warner is seeking a fourth term as polls close, while Florida’s Senate race remains too close to call. Montana’s historic open-seat Senate race has Alme leading as polls close, and Hawaii voters are heading to the polls in 2026 House elections.
While isolated technical problems are not uncommon on Election Day, the extensions and manual ballot procedures in multiple states underscore the logistical challenges facing election administrators. Officials in the affected jurisdictions emphasized that all votes would be counted and that security protocols remain in place.
