US midterm polling faces technical and weather-related disruptions

WASHINGTON: Voters faced technical problems and severe weather disruptions in several US states as polling began in the midterm elections on Tuesday, raising concerns over access to polling stations. According to Arab media reports, voting machines at several polling stations in New York's Westchester County were unable to accept ballot papers because of a technical malfunction. The problems reportedly began shortly after polls opened on Tuesday morning, when scanners at several locations started experiencing difficulties. New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was closely monitoring the scanner issues and remained in contact with state and local election boards to ensure a quick resolution. In a post on social media platform X, James reassured voters that Westchester County residents could still complete their ballots and submit them at their polling stations. She said their votes would be counted. Meanwhile, heavy rain, flooding and storms disrupted the electoral process in several other states. In Florida, heavy rainfall late Monday and on Tuesday triggered flash flooding, forcing officials to relocate at least 18 polling stations. In Oklahoma, a tornado that struck on Sunday severely damaged a community centre scheduled to serve as a polling station, prompting officials to move the voting location. Utah's governor declared a state of emergency because of severe weather and announced special arrangements for voters stranded by floodwaters in San Juan County. Under the measures, affected voters can request and submit their ballots electronically. Meteorologists also forecast possible flash flooding on Tuesday in parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi as a storm system moved eastward from Central America.