Voters nationwide are casting ballots today in the 2026 midterm elections, a contest defined by sharp political divisions and the balance of power in Congress. Photographers working with NPR member stations are capturing scenes from polling locations in their own communities as the day unfolds.
In Chicago, voters filled out their ballots at the McKinley Park Library, a scene documented by Anthony Vazquez of the Sun-Times and WBEZ. In Fairfax, Virginia, an election official taped "VOTE" signs to a wall to guide voters toward the polling room at the Fairfax County Government Center, as photographed by Tyrone Turner of WAMU.
St. Louis voters cast ballots at Wild Carrot, an event space in the city's Shaw neighborhood, in a photo by Brian Munoz of St. Louis Public Radio. In Herndon, Virginia, Tyler Prehn, 5, inserted his father's ballot into the tabulating machine at Lutie Lewis Coates Elementary School while his brother, Levi Prehn, 3, looked on, captured by Tyrone Turner of WAMU.
In Des Moines, Iowa, Diane Mitchell handed out Dutch Deli sandwiches and cookies from a food truck, a moment photographed by Madeleine Charis King of Iowa Public Radio.
The photographs reflect a range of polling places, from libraries and schools to event spaces and government buildings, illustrating how voting unfolds across diverse communities on Election Day.
