Ballot scanners stopped accepting paper ballots at most Westchester County polling places Tuesday morning, but officials and both major House candidates say voting continues and every eligible ballot will be counted.
What went wrong
Polls opened at 6 a.m. Eastern. Soon after, scanners at most sites across Westchester County would not take ballots, according to CBS New York and the Westchester County Board of Elections.
The board first pointed to the thickness of the paper ballots. It later corrected that wording. In a statement shared on X by the county government account @westchestergov, officials described “an issue involving paper ballots that is preventing voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the County.”
County Executive Ken Jenkins did not name a final cause, CBS New York reported. Rep. Mike Lawler wrote on X that it was not yet clear “whether it is the ballot or the machine.”
Voting has not stopped
Officials say voters should:
- Stay in line and check in as usual
- Fill out a paper ballot as poll workers instruct
- Place the ballot in a designated orange emergency bag
Those bags stay secure and monitored, then get counted under election rules. The New York State Board of Elections said emergency procedures are in place and completed ballots are secured under bipartisan control, according to CBS New York. Polls in New York close at 9 p.m.
Both House candidates urge people to stay
Westchester is central to New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Mike Lawler faces Democrat Cait Conley in a closely watched race that could affect control of the House.
On X Tuesday morning, Lawler posted: “There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County. We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it. However, every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting.”
Conley posted: “Westchester! There are technical issues with ballot scanners in Westchester, but don’t worry: you can still vote and every vote is being counted! Don’t be dissuaded and have your voice heard.” She said the Board of Elections was working on the issue “in a bipartisan manner.”
Oversight and next steps
New York Attorney General Letitia James, posting from @NewYorkStateAG, said her office was monitoring the problem and was in touch with state and local boards. “Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will count,” she wrote.
FOX 5 New York and ABC7 New York also reported the countywide outage and the board’s promise that every eligible vote will be counted. As of mid-morning Tuesday, officials had not said when scanners would work normally again. Results in the Lawler-Conley race could take longer if many emergency-bag ballots must be counted after polls close, Gothamist reported.
Sources: CBS New York ; FOX 5 New York ; ABC7 New York ; Gothamist ; Westchester County / @westchestergov ; Mike Lawler / @lawler4ny ; Cait Conley / @CaitforNewYork ; NY AG / @NewYorkStateAG
