Ballot Scanner Failure Disrupts Voting Across Westchester County

The problem began shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m., disrupting voting across Westchester County. Election officials attributed the failure to an issue with the printed ballots, including their thickness or barcode, which prevented tabulators from accepting them. Officials said the machines themselves had not been found to be tampered with.

Voters were told to complete their paper ballots and place them in designated orange emergency bags. The bags would remain secure and monitored, and the ballots would be counted under election procedures. Officials urged voters to stay in line, warning that delays could result, and said every eligible vote would be counted.

County Executive Ken Jenkins said he had directed county officials, including law department representatives, to monitor voting. He said he would convene a bipartisan review after the issue was resolved to examine the failures and determine accountability. The county apologized to voters and poll workers.

The Board of Elections was working with state officials, county government, poll workers and vendors on a solution. Jenkins said no replacement machines would be sent to polling places; instead, accessible machines at each site would be reprogrammed to read the ballot barcodes.

The disruption came as Republican Rep. Mike Lawler sought reelection against Democrat Cait Conley in the 17th Congressional District. Both candidates urged people to vote. Attorney General Letitia James said her office was monitoring the situation and coordinating with election officials. New York polls were scheduled to close at 9 p.m.

Westchester Voting Failure Demands Answers as Ballots Go to Emergency Bags

Westchester voters faced a countywide breakdown in ballot scanning on Election Day, forcing poll workers to store ballots in emergency bags instead of processing them normally. The failure surfaced shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m., in a district where Democrat Cait Conley is challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler.

Officials said an issue with the printed ballots, including their thickness or barcode, stopped tabulators from accepting them. Voters were told to keep voting and place completed ballots in orange bags for secure handling and later counting. The Board of Elections and county officials repeatedly assured voters that every eligible ballot would count.

Those assurances do not erase the disruption. County Executive Ken Jenkins called the situation unacceptable and said he would convene a bipartisan inquiry into the decisions and failures behind it, including where accountability lies. He also directed county officials to monitor polling sites. Officials said they would reprogram accessible machines to read ballot barcodes rather than bring in replacements.

Conley and Lawler both urged voters to remain in line. Attorney General Letitia James said her office was monitoring the problem and working with election officials. The immediate priority was making sure voters could cast ballots and that ballots placed in emergency storage were counted; the promised review would address how the failure occurred.

Westchester Scanner Breakdown Puts Election Confidence on the Line

A countywide scanner failure disrupted voting in Westchester on Election Day, leaving voters to place ballots in emergency bags for later counting. The problem began shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m., while Republican Rep. Mike Lawler faced Democrat Cait Conley in the 17th Congressional District race.

Officials said a problem with the printed ballots, including their thickness or barcode, prevented tabulators from accepting them. Voters were instructed to stay in line and submit their ballots for secure storage. The Board of Elections said the ballots would be monitored and counted under election procedures, and both candidates urged voters to cast their ballots.

County Executive Ken Jenkins called the failure unacceptable and said he would convene a bipartisan review to identify what went wrong and where accountability lies. Officials said accessible machines at polling sites would be reprogrammed to read the barcodes, rather than replaced. The board was coordinating with state officials, county government, poll workers and vendors.

The assurances that every vote will count are essential, but voters were still left facing delays and an emergency process on a consequential Election Day. Attorney General Letitia James said her office was monitoring the issue. Officials urged voters not to leave polling places before voting, while the county’s promised review will examine the decisions behind the disruption.