Voters in Maine, Nevada, South Carolina, and North Dakota will head to the polls this Tuesday, June 9, to participate in another round of primary elections. The elections will determine the candidates for the Senate, the House of Representatives, governorships, and dozens of state and local offices that will be up for grabs in November.

Among the races drawing the most attention are the search for a challenger to Republican Senator Susan Collins in Maine, the Republican race to succeed Governor Henry McMaster in South Carolina, and the gubernatorial primary in Nevada. In addition, North Dakota will vote on a proposal to amend its state Constitution.

When and at what time are the primary elections?

The primary elections will be held on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.

Polling hours vary by state. In South Carolina, polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. In Maine, hours depend on each municipality, although most polling places will close at 8:00 p.m. In Nevada, polling places will close at 7:00 p.m. local time, while in North Dakota, hours vary by county, with closing times scheduled between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

What’s on the ballots?

In South Carolina, voters will elect candidates for governor, the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, and various state offices. The race for governor is one of the most closely watched, with seven Republicans and three Democrats vying to succeed outgoing Governor Henry McMaster.

Maine will hold primaries for governor, the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, and the state legislature. Much of the attention is focused on the Democratic primary to determine who will face Republican Senator Susan Collins, considered one of the most vulnerable figures in the Republican Party in the Senate. The race for the 2nd Congressional District, which became open following Representative Jared Golden’s decision not to seek reelection, will also be decided.

In Nevada, nominations will be decided for governor, the House of Representatives, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and other state offices. Republican Governor Joe Lombardo will seek to advance toward a re-election campaign, while Democrats will choose their candidate in an effort to win back one of the most competitive governorships in the country.

In North Dakota, voters will elect candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, various state offices, the state legislature, and two seats on the Public Service Commission. They will also vote on a proposal to amend the state Constitution to require that each constitutional amendment initiative address a single, specific issue.

Who can vote?

South Carolina uses an open primary system, so any registered voter can choose to participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary.

North Dakota also allows voters to participate without first registering with a political party, although they must select a single party ballot for the primary races.

Maine maintains a mixed system. Voters registered with a party may only participate in their political party’s primary, while independents may choose which primary to vote in.

Nevada uses a closed system. Voters must be registered with a party to participate in their respective primary, although state law allows voters to register or change their party affiliation even on Election Day.

How and where to vote?

Voters can find their polling place, verify their voter registration, review their ballot, and learn about their state’s specific requirements through the official websites of election authorities.

An easy way to find this information is through Vote.org, where you can verify your voter registration, find your polling place, and access each state’s official links.

Some jurisdictions have specific requirements. In South Carolina, for example, voters must present a valid photo ID to vote in person. In Nevada, voters can register or update their party affiliation on Election Day at authorized locations.

When will the results be announced?

The first results will begin to be released after the polls close on Tuesday night.

However, the time required to complete the count will vary from state to state. Nevada and Maine may take longer due to the volume of early and mail-in ballots, while South Carolina and North Dakota typically report a significant portion of their results during the early hours of election night.

In some races, runoffs or additional processes may also be necessary to determine the nominees. In South Carolina, for example, the two candidates with the most votes will advance to a runoff if no one receives more than 50% of the votes in the primary.

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Six people were stabbed at Penn Station, New York’s main intercity rail hub and its busiest station. The attack occurred on Sunday after 7.00 p.m. local time (1.00 a.m. CEST) between 33rd Street and Seventh Avenue, the New York Fire Department told local media. The incident comes as the city is on a high security alert ahead of a planned presidential visit on Monday by U.S. President Donald Trump, Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and the start of the FIFA World Cup.

Five of the six victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. One suffered serious injuries, two sustained moderate injuries, and the remaining two were lightly injured. The sixth victim was admitted to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, the city’s emergency services said.

The suspect was arrested by police at the scene, but authorities have not released his identity or confirmed a possible motive. City comptroller Mark Levin suggested the assailant may have been experiencing a mental health crisis, and said the incident raises questions about the city’s psychiatric health network. The investigation, however, remains open.

The incident came hours after the official watch party for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, scheduled for Monday, was canceled. The game will pit the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs. Officials said the cancellation was due to increased security measures related to the expected attendance of Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence,” the mayor wrote on social media. “I’m wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery,” he added.

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch had recently warned about the huge workload facing the force, not only because of the decisive phase of the NBA Finals but also because of the imminent arrival of the FIFA World Cup.

Matches in the tournament, which kick off on June 13 in neighboring New Jersey, will make New York the base of operations for thousands of international fans.

Security at the World Cup in the United States regained international prominence this weekend after reports that nine people were wounded in a shooting near England’s national team base in Kansas City on Saturday.

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Pope Leo XIV delivered a historic speech on Monday inside Spanish parliament in a joint session of both houses, where he stressed that the moral value of political decisions must prevail “over mutable social consensus” and lamented “the permanent denigration of the adversary.”

Much of his address, which lasted half an hour and was met with seven minutes of applause, was devoted to condemning discrimination against migrants and policies that forget their dignity as human beings. “Wherever a person is discriminated against because of their origin, the principle of the equal dignity of all human beings is violated,” he said.

“Those who exercise public responsibility have a special duty to guard their language in order to ‘disarm speech.’ Firmness does not require contempt; disagreement does not entail humiliation,” he warned in an appeal to tone down verbal aggression and polarization in politics. “The world is undergoing a profound spiritual and cultural crisis, which is manifested in multiple forms of violence, polarization, and mutual distrust.”

After initially keeping a low profile, the pope has this year begun to reveal himself as a global voice against far-right populism. In a speech to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See on January 9, 2026, he said that “in our time, the weakness of multilateralism is a particular cause for concern at the international level. A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.”

Leo XIV arrived in Madrid on Saturday for a weeklong visit to Spain — the first by a pontiff in 15 years — and has since made a point of meeting with migrants and homeless people. On Sunday he officiated a mass that attracted 1.2 million people, according to local authorities.

On Monday, during his address to the national legislature, Leo XIV was very clear in his global call for “a peace that requires diplomatic courage” and respect for international law “above the interests that profit from war.” He also reiterated his opposition to rearmament policies.

On immigration, he said that the drama of migration challenges the conscience of nations and the ethical foundation of the international order. He said that it is a problem that “exceeds any purely demographic or economic reading: it is fundamentally a moral and legal issue.”

“The situation of migrants and refugees demands a response that focuses on people, addresses the causes that force them to leave and goes beyond the mere management of flows. From this arises a twofold requirement of social justice: offering safe and legal routes, a respectful welcome and real possibilities for integration; and at the same time promoting the right to remain in one’s own land,” he said.

The pope did not mention child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy in his speech in Congress, although house speaker Francina Armengol reminded him that Congress commissioned an investigation into clerical sex abuse in 2022. Later the pope delivered an address to the Conference of Bishops in which he referred to abuse within the Church as a “plague” and asked the bishops to ensure that “every person who has been hurt” can find “a sincere ear, a welcoming environment, protection, and real changes that bring healing.” EL PAÍS has been investigating cases of abuse by the Spanish Church since 2018.

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