Flooding Moves Polling Places Across Five US States on Election Day 2026

Floods and storms forced last-minute polling-place changes and emergency voting rules in five states on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as Americans voted in midterms deciding control of Congress. The Election Day polling places moved in Florida, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Oklahoma, with officials urging voters to check their site before travelling.

Key Points

• Eight Brevard County precincts in Melbourne and Palm Bay, Florida, moved under the state's fall-flooding emergency order, with a further change in Martin County.
• Colorado closed a Pagosa Springs voter centre and drop box over flood risk, offering alternative centres and replacement ballots statewide.
• Utah allowed San Juan County voters who cannot reasonably travel to request and return ballots electronically under an emergency order.
• Two Maricopa County vote centres in Arizona lost power on Monday and later reopened, while one polling place changed in Oklahoma's Cimarron County.

What Happened

In Florida, Brevard Supervisor Tim Bobanic announced on Monday evening that eight precincts in Melbourne and Palm Bay had moved because of extreme flooding, under Executive Order 26-227. Precincts 307, 512 and 525, from Max K. Rodes Park Community Center, and Precinct 309, from the Veterans Memorial Complex, now vote at New Shiloh Christian Center, 3900 Sarno Road, Melbourne. In Martin County, voters from Grace Presbyterian Church in Stuart now vote at the Supervisor of Elections Office, 135 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Stuart.

In Colorado, the Ross Aragon Community Center voter centre and the Pagosa Springs Town Hall drop box closed over flood risk. Voters were directed to the Archuleta County Courthouse centre, 109 Harmon Park Drive, Pagosa Springs; Pine River Library, 395 Bayfield Center Drive, Bayfield; or a mobile drop box at 10 Solomon Drive, Pagosa Springs, all open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Flood-affected voters can request a replacement ballot at any voter centre in the state.

In Utah, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson issued an emergency order on Monday allowing San Juan County voters who cannot reasonably travel to request and return ballots electronically. In Arizona, two Maricopa County centres, at Paradise Valley Community College and Sunset Canyon School, lost power on Monday morning and later reopened, with workers staying on site and ballot drop-off continuing, Elections Director Scott Jarrett said. In Oklahoma, storm damage on Sunday night forced a change in Cimarron County, spokesperson Misha Mohr said, with signs at changed sites. Oklahoma polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Background/Context

The changes came after a weekend of heavy rain that produced flash flooding and evacuations across the Four Corners region and northern and central Arizona. More than 10 rivers, creeks and washes in Arizona and southwest Colorado surged past major flood stage, and a few set new record crests. In Pagosa Springs, evacuations were ordered along the San Juan River, which surged past major flood stage for the second time in about 10 days. In Flagstaff, a 73-year-old man was found dead early Monday after reportedly falling into floodwater on Sunday evening.

In Florida, the same pattern had already produced historic Space Coast flooding, with Brevard gauges recording 16 to 22 inches and a Flash Flood Emergency for West Melbourne and Palm Bay. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs declared a statewide emergency on Monday, and Maricopa County declared a local emergency for unincorporated areas through 6 a.m. on November 6.

Election Day Polling Places Moved: What Voters Should Do

The practical message was consistent: check before you travel. A voter at a closed or flooded site may still vote, but only if they know where to go instead. In Utah, electronic ballots were limited to voters who cannot reasonably travel, not to every voter in the county. In Colorado, voters outside their home county may be limited to statewide races only, another reason to use the designated home-county alternative. In Arizona, the outage did not close voting: drop-off continued and the centres later reopened.

Reactions/Quotes

Colorado's secretary of state's office framed the Pagosa Springs relocation as a safety decision, pointing voters to staffed alternatives. Maricopa County, through Director Scott Jarrett, confirmed workers stayed on site during the power loss and drop-off continued. Utah's order was presented as an accommodation for voters cut off by flooding, not a general change to voting rules.

Governor Hobbs said the Arizona emergency aimed to give local authorities resources to clear roads, repair infrastructure and help displaced residents.

Why It Matters

Polling-place changes carry a risk beyond inconvenience. If voters do not hear about a move, they may arrive at the wrong site, face a long detour, or give up. That risk is highest for voters with limited transport, older voters, and rural voters whose alternative site may be miles away. Emergency measures only work if voters know about them in time.

The five-state pattern also matters for the midterms as a whole. With all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats and 36 governorships at stake, Election Day turnout in affected counties could still influence close races if voters reach the right site.

What Happens Next

County offices will now track how many voters used alternative sites, replacement ballots or, in Utah, electronic ballots, and whether any voter was turned away. Those figures will show whether the emergency measures worked. In Arizona, the Maricopa local emergency runs through 6 a.m. on November 6, so repairs will continue after polling closes.

The storm was pushing east on Election Day, bringing soaking rain to the Plains, Midwest and Mississippi Valley, though conditions were expected to be less serious than in the Southwest.

FAQ

Which states changed polling places on Election Day? Florida, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Oklahoma, with site moves, closures, electronic ballots or power-related disruptions in each.

Where do Brevard County voters in Melbourne and Palm Bay go now? Precincts 307, 512, 525 and 309 now vote at New Shiloh Christian Center, 3900 Sarno Road, Melbourne, under the state's fall-flooding emergency order.

What if my Colorado voter centre is closed? Use the Archuleta County Courthouse centre, the Pine River Library centre in Bayfield, or the mobile drop box at 10 Solomon Drive, Pagosa Springs, or request a replacement ballot at any voter centre in the state.

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