US midterms begin with chaos over mail-voting crackdown

The US midterm elections have begun with confusion over mail voting. North Carolina became the first state authorized to begin sending out ballots, formally launching an election season that culminates on November 3 and will determine control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term.

Voters and election officials still do not know what rules may govern millions of mail ballots, as Trump asks the Supreme Court to revive curbs blocked by a federal judge. States are scrambling to prepare for changes that could come after voting has begun.

A federal judge extended a temporary block on Trump's plan, and whistleblower allegations have raised concerns about a new Postal Service verification system, which was rushed and inadequately tested. The system could delay or disqualify entire batches of ballots due to a single barcode problem, according to The Jakarta Post and Channel News Asia.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, The Jakarta Post, Channel News Asia, Le Monde English — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.