Voting across Westchester County, New York, was thrown into disarray on Tuesday after ballot scanners at numerous polling sites malfunctioned, blocking the machines from accepting ballots. The issue, which began when polls opened at 6 a.m., affected locations throughout the county, according to county executive Ken Jenkins.
New York Attorney General Letitia James moved quickly to reassure voters, writing on social platform X: "My office is monitoring this issue with scanners in Westchester and is in touch with the state and local Boards of Elections as they work on a solution." She added, "Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will count."
The Westchester County Board of Elections acknowledged the problem in a statement, noting that an issue involving paper ballots was preventing some machines from accepting them. The precise cause of the malfunction remains under investigation. The board sought to calm fears, stating: "The Westchester Board of Elections wants to reassure every voter that your vote matters, your ballot will be secure, and your vote will be counted."
With scanners down, election officials directed voters to continue filling out their ballots and deposit them in designated orange emergency ballot bags if the machines could not process them. Those ballots will be secured and counted at a later time, officials said.
The New York State Board of Elections also weighed in, emphasizing that the technical difficulties did not prevent residents from casting their ballots. "Long-established emergency ballot procedures have been implemented, where completed ballots are secured, under bipartisan control, and will be counted," the state board said in a statement.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who is facing a competitive reelection battle in New York's 17th Congressional District, said the problem appeared to affect every ballot scanner in the county. "We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine," he wrote on X. "The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it." He urged voters to remain at their polling locations and cast their ballots.
This incident adds to a series of voting-related challenges across the country, from misprinted ballot envelopes in Nevada to legal battles over isolated ballots in California. While election officials often stress that such glitches are rare, they can undermine public confidence in the electoral process, a concern highlighted by midterm voters facing key choices about election integrity.
As of Tuesday afternoon, officials had not announced a timeline for fixing the scanners, but they reiterated that all ballots cast—whether through scanners or emergency bags—would be counted. The situation remains fluid, and further updates are expected from the boards of elections.
