Here is your Tuesday morning roundup on Election Day, with one story from Boston, one from across the United States and one from overseas. Polls in Massachusetts are open until 8 p.m.; if you need hours, ID rules or a plain-language look at the nine ballot questions, see our Election Day guide.

Boston, Massachusetts: City voters cast 62,652 ballots early as Election Day begins

Boston residents headed to the polls Tuesday with more than 62,000 ballots counted ahead of Election Day. As of Monday, Nov. 2, the Boston Election Department said 15,343 people had voted early in person and 47,309 mail-in and absentee ballots had been returned, for a combined 62,652 ballots cast before Tuesday.

Polling places across the city’s 275 precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., staffed by over 2,000 workers. This year’s ballot includes nine statewide questions on three double-sided cards. Officials urge voters to review choices in advance and feed one card at a time into the tabulator, waiting for “System Ready” before the next.

Statewide, Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin’s office told WBUR that at least 22% of registered Massachusetts voters had already cast a ballot early or by mail. Early in-person voting reached 347,346 this cycle, up from 188,175 in 2022. The Boston Globe reported 1,161,295 statewide early or mail ballots as of Monday afternoon.

On election night, Boston plans to publish early and mail ballots processed at City Hall between 8 and 9 p.m., then upload combined Election Day results around 10 p.m. Drop-box returns are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday; mailed ballots need a Nov. 3 postmark and must arrive by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6.

United States: Record early voting as voters decide control of Congress

Americans are voting Tuesday in midterm elections that will decide which party controls Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are on the ballot, along with dozens of governorships and state offices.

According to data from the University of Florida’s Election Lab cited by the BBC, about 58,677,062 early votes had already been cast as of 11:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday — roughly 31.9 million in person and 26.8 million by mail — a record for a midterm. The Associated Press reports that Democrats need a net gain of four Senate seats and three House seats to take majorities from Republicans, who currently control both chambers.

Key Senate contests that could tip the chamber include races in Maine, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Kansas and Alaska, according to AP and BBC coverage. First results typically begin after 6 p.m. Eastern in safer races, with closer Eastern contests such as Ohio and Maine offering earlier signals later in the evening. National outlets caution that close races can take days to call; in 2022, control of Congress was still unsettled the day after Election Day. Early-vote totals are not election results, and millions more will vote in person Tuesday.

Strait of Hormuz: U.S. strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as tanker mine reports continue

The United States carried out limited strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, U.S. officials told CBS, the BBC’s U.S. partner. Officials described the action as defensive and said it followed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps firing on a U.S. aircraft. Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm. The IRGC said its forces had shot down U.S. drones near the island and east of the strait; the U.S. military had not publicly detailed the Monday strikes in early BBC reporting.

The waterway, which usually carries about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, has been heavily restricted since the U.S.-Iran war began in February, according to the BBC. Mediators in Qatar and Pakistan have been ferrying proposals to reopen the strait. Iran’s foreign minister said “very intensive” talks were under way Monday, and Qatar’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that both sides were reviewing proposals.

Separately, Iran’s IRGC Navy said oil tankers traveling unauthorized routes in the Strait of Hormuz exploded after striking mines, Iranian state media reported, with Reuters citing statements that vessels had been abandoned burning. On Tuesday, Iran’s chief negotiator said the United States must act to prevent renewed war, while President Trump told reporters Monday he was in “no rush” to expand the conflict.

Stay connected

That’s the Tuesday morning roundup. For community gatherings, talks and family events happening around Massachusetts this week, see the Mass Halal events calendar.