Election scrutiny high, but US votes without major hitches

Americans voted without major hitches Tuesday in midterm elections receiving intense scrutiny after two years of false claims and conspiracy theories about how ballots are cast and counted.

With polls open across the country, no widespread problems with ballots, long lines or voter intimidation were reported early on, though there were hiccups in some places, which is typical on any Election Day.

Vote tabulators malfunctioned in a county in New Jersey and one in Arizona, prompting assurances from officials that ballots would be counted. Some voting sites in North Carolina were delayed in opening because workers showed up late, though officials may extend voting hours. And in one Pennsylvania county, polling places scrambled to replenish low supplies of paper ballots.

“These are things we see in every election cycle,” said Susannah Goodman, director of election security at Common Cause, a group that advocates for voting access. “There’s nothing majorly concerning this morning.”

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