Are you concerned about a power outage in D.C. taking place just before the midterms?

On November 2, 2026, a power outage in Washington, D.C., affected around 1,100 customers, disrupting government offices, traffic lights, and George Washington University just one day before the midterm elections. The State Department was among the agencies impacted, with multiple facilities closed. Pepco attributed the outage to equipment trouble at its I Street Substation and confirmed there were no signs of foul play. Emergency responders assisted with related issues as the utility worked to restore power, which was fully restored by the afternoon.