It's Election Day, U.S. strikes Iran's Qeshm Island, Supreme Court turns down California ballot request
What to know on Election Day, limited U.S. strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island, the Supreme Court's refusal to set aside 20,000 California ballots, Palantir's earnings, and LaMelo Ball's NBA record.
Today, Tuesday, November 3, is Election Day for the 2026 midterms. All 435 U.S. House seats, 35 of the Senate's 100 seats and governorships in 36 states are on the ballot, along with state and local races. Poll hours vary by state; the earliest polls opened at 5 a.m. local time in Vermont, and many mail and provisional ballots are counted after election night. In Minnesota, polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., anyone in line by 8 p.m. can vote, and eligible voters can register at the polls with proof of residence. More than 886,000 Minnesota ballots were already in through Sunday, a record for a Minnesota midterm, MPR News reported from Secretary of State data. Voters can find their polling place through their state or local election office; in Minnesota, at pollfinder.sos.mn.gov.
U.S. forces carried out what officials called "defensive strikes" on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, ABC News and The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials. Officials described the strikes as limited and said they do not signal a return to major combat operations. Iranian state media reported several explosions on the island. Oil prices rose in overnight trading after falling more than 7% on Monday, with Brent crude above $105 a barrel.
U.S. officials sayThe strikes were defensive and limited and do not mean a return to major combat. One official told ABC News they responded to an Iranian attack on a U.S. aircraft; officials cited by The Wall Street Journal said they were meant to stop Iran from targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran saysIranian state media reported several explosions on Qeshm Island. Earlier Monday, Iran claimed it shot down two U.S. RQ-170 reconnaissance drones; a U.S. official called that claim false.
The Supreme Court on Monday turned down the Trump administration's request to have California set aside more than 20,000 mail ballots from voters the administration flagged as likely noncitizens until their citizenship could be checked. The court gave no explanation and no justice publicly dissented; Fox News reports Justice Elena Kagan denied the request without referring it to the full court. Lower courts had also refused. Separately, on Monday, Chief Judge James Boasberg in Washington ruled the administration had likely violated the Constitution's Elections Clause and blocked its demands on California's mail ballots.
The administration saysSetting the ballots aside was a modest request that would preserve them while their eligibility is checked, without canceling any votes. The Justice Department argued that once such ballots are counted "and commingled with lawful votes, the resulting harm is impossible to remedy."
California saysElection officials say the federal list appears to be filled with errors, that setting ballots aside could disenfranchise legal voters, and that doing it now would be logistically impossible. Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said the appeal "reeks of desperation."
Palantir reported third-quarter revenue of about $2.31 billion, up 96% from a year earlier and above Wall Street estimates, and raised its full-year revenue outlook. For the first time, its U.S. commercial revenue ($984 million) was larger than its U.S. government revenue ($953 million). Shares fell in after-hours trading Monday despite the beat.
LaMelo Ball became the fastest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career 3-pointers, doing it in his 311th game, and scored a season-high 34 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-100 on Monday night at Target Center. Minnesota improved to 5-3 while playing without Anthony Edwards, who is out after knee surgery.
