US midterms face Election Day disruptions as flood, glitches and fake messages hit

The 2026 US midterm elections faced a series of disruptions on Election Day, ranging from flooding and technical problems at polling stations to fake messages falsely claiming that voting locations had changed.

In Florida, severe flooding forced election officials to relocate polling stations even after voting had begun. At least 18 polling places were moved because of flooding, according to CNN.

A separate technical problem temporarily prevented voting at polling places in one Florida county for about 20 minutes, CNN reported.


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In Georgia, voters in Fulton County received scam text messages falsely claiming that their polling locations had been changed.

The fake messages came as election officials remained alert to misinformation and attempts to disrupt voting.

A software update made after voting machines were tested caused ballot-counting problems in Westchester County, the state Board of Elections said.

The update was needed because of a change in a local race but was not made to machines in other counties. As a result, some tabulators could not read completed Election Day ballots.

Officials are working to restore ballot-scanning capability at at least one machine at every polling location, while voting continues through emergency ballot procedures, reported AP.

Cybersecurity has also been a focus across the country. Several state leaders have mobilised National Guard personnel to provide cybersecurity support related to elections and election systems.