Voters in multiple states experienced paper ballot shortages on Election Day as they headed to the polls for the 2026 midterm elections, prompting scrambles by election officials to address disruptions.
In Linwood, Kansas, a shortage of paper ballots at a polling location forced some voters to leave without casting their votes. A spokesperson for the Kansas Secretary of State's office confirmed that the polling station received only 100 ballots when 1,000 were needed, though the situation was later remedied.
A similar issue occurred in Chicago, Illinois, where several polling locations reported ballot shortages. Election officials stated that extra paper ballots and potentially voting machines were being delivered and that, to their knowledge, no voters were turned away. An Illinois State Board of Elections official noted that it is not unusual for election authorities to supply additional ballots if turnout exceeds expectations.
In Brandywine, Maryland, voters at Brandywine Elementary School, a polling location in Prince George’s County, faced long lines and delays after the site ran out of paper ballots. A county elections administrator confirmed that the school initially did not have the correct ballots, which were later corrected.
While these shortages affected specific polling places, election officials in Prince George's County and the Illinois State Board of Elections stated that efforts were made to deploy additional ballots and supplies to the affected locations.
In Westchester County, New York, some voting machines were reportedly rejecting paper ballots due to an updated programming issue. The county's Board of Elections explained that machines elsewhere in the county continued to use original programming, which caused them to be unable to accept the ballots used for Election Day.
These incidents come amid high-stakes midterm elections where control of Congress is contested.