Voters in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland reported paper ballot shortages on Tuesday, leaving some people unable to vote at first as officials worked to fix problems during the closely watched 2026 midterm elections.
In Linwood, Kansas, where a competitive Senate race is underway, some voters left their polling place without casting a ballot after officials ran short. One voter told the Kansas Reflector that her 18-year-old son was among those who left. She also saw about 10 to 15 others depart without voting.
Leavenworth County said the shortage resulted from an error in the number of ballots ordered. Officials discovered the problem early and began addressing it, the county said, apologizing for the disruption.
A spokesperson for the Kansas secretary of state said the polling place needed 1,000 ballots but received only 100. The shortage was fixed early in the morning, and voters were then able to cast their ballots.
In Chicago, several polling places also ran low on ballots, according to local reports. Election officials printed and delivered more paper ballots and directed voters to other voting centers. The Chicago Board of Elections said it knew of no voters who had been turned away or prevented from voting.
Illinois election officials said it is not unusual to send extra ballots to polling places when turnout is higher than expected. Lines at some Chicago locations were also reported, but officials said that can happen during a general election.
In Brandywine, Maryland, voters faced long lines and delays after Brandywine Elementary School ran out of paper ballots, local media reported. The school had initially received incorrect ballots, which were later replaced, according to the county elections administrator.
A spokesperson for Maryland’s State Board of Elections said additional ballots and supplies were sent to the school after officials learned of the problem. The board plans to review what happened after the election.
Meanwhile, voting machines at polling places across Westchester County, New York, were rejecting paper ballots. The county Board of Elections said updated programming was required after a change to a local contest. The revised programming had been tested and used for early voting and Election Day machines in that municipality, but machines elsewhere in the county still had the original programming and could not read the ballots.
