Polling stations opened across the United States on Tuesday for the 2026 midterm elections. More than 58 million Americans had already voted early, a record for a midterm election. Democrats could take control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate, a result that could complicate the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term.

In California, the Justice Department sent federal election observers to Los Angeles amid a dispute over roughly 20,000 ballots. The Trump administration suspects that voters whose ballots are involved are not US citizens and wants the ballots set aside; California has challenged the reliability of the list. The Supreme Court rejected Washington’s request on Monday. The following day, a federal appeals court lifted, by a 6–5 vote, a restriction on the Justice Department threatening election officials with criminal prosecution.

The federal government has also announced plans to deploy 1,000 observers across all 50 states. After a legal challenge, several sworn law-enforcement officers were removed from the deployment. The remaining observers are to wear civilian clothing, carry no badges or weapons, and have no authority to make arrests. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the deployment an attempt to intimidate voters, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta said state observers would monitor the federal team. The Justice Department said its aim was to ensure compliance with election laws.

Voting problems were reported in several Mississippi counties, including Jackson, Hinds and DeSoto. In Jackson County, some voting machines were out of service, with at least one polling place experiencing internet connectivity problems. A voter in Ocean Springs said she waited 45 minutes because machines were not working and paper ballots were unavailable; she saw an estimated 25 to 30 people leave the queue without voting. Other polling places in DeSoto County reportedly ran short of pre-printed ballots, and one opened an hour late. The Mississippi secretary of state’s office confirmed receiving reports of late openings, temporary machine failures and difficulties accessing administrative sites.

Technical issues also affected polling places in New York, Georgia and Florida, according to the live coverage. In Westchester County, north of New York City, ballot scanners initially rejected ballots because of a programming error. Voters continued to cast paper ballots, which were placed in secured bags for counting. The account said election authorities had not reported fraud in connection with the incidents.

In Texas, student groups helped voters navigate the process. At the University of Texas at Austin, the Donuts + Democracy association offered students pastries and information about polling locations. Its founder, Heather Haggarty, said registration rules and the lack of same-day registration in Texas could make voting difficult for young people. The report also described long queues on campus, including a wait of around 50 minutes at one polling place on Tuesday morning.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, facing the prospect of a Republican defeat in the chamber, sent fellow Republicans a message quoting the Bible: “And having done all, to stand.” Several Republicans privately expect their party to lose its majority, although Johnson has publicly said he will remain speaker.

Trump planned to follow the results from the White House with a small group of advisers, allies and administration officials. According to CNN, the White House and the political organization MAGA Inc. had set up separate election-night operations. Trump hoped the polls would be wrong and remained convinced that his campaigning had kept Republicans competitive, while privately acknowledging the possibility of significant losses.

The first results were expected during the night, but control of Congress could take longer to determine. All 435 House seats are being contested, and closely fought races, including some in California, may take several days to resolve. The live coverage noted that in the previous three elections, the Associated Press had taken seven to eight days to determine which party controlled the House.

Sources: Le Monde International.