US Midterm Elections Underway Amid Technical Issues and Political Tensions

Voting for the midterm elections is underway in the US. Voting began at 4.30 pm IST on Tuesday and will continue till 4.30 pm IST on Wednesday. Some voting machines in New York's Westchester district are unable to scan ballots. Flooding in Florida has forced the relocation of 21 polling stations. State officials also fear that the Trump administration may interfere with voting and results. The Trump administration has sent security forces to polling stations in several states, suspecting non-citizens of casting ballots. Media reports suggest that voting may be interrupted in the name of checking machines. States, not the president, have full authority to hold elections under the US Constitution. Midterm elections are held in the US two years after the presidential election. All 435 seats in the lower house of parliament and 35 million in the upper house of the Senate are currently being voted on. The majority of the votes cast by the Republican party in both houses of parliament have already begun to be cast through the University of Florida.