Westchester officials count emergency ballots after scanner failure

Ballots that could not be scanned during Tuesday's election are now being counted at a Westchester County Board of Elections facility.

The count began by 11 a.m. Wednesday in compliance with a court order. These emergency ballots were submitted by voters whose ballots failed to process due to a printing issue. Instead of scanning, polling place workers instructed voters to fill out the forms and place them in secured bags. Police took custody of these bags overnight and kept them under supervision until the counting started.

Board of Elections Commissioner Tajian Nelson said the team is reviewing every bag to confirm the contents match what police received. She noted that the duration of the process is still unknown. The county is also convening a bipartisan team to review the decisions that led to the error. The group will determine where accountability lies to prevent similar issues in the future.

The delay affects a closely watched race for a county commission seat. Republican incumbent Lawler claimed victory over Democratic challenger Cait Conley on Tuesday night, even though not all votes were tallied. The seat covers most of northern Westchester. Elmsford voter Cathy Ronan said she followed the clear instructions to get authenticated and place her vote in a sealed bag. Another official emphasized that every vote will be counted through this bipartisan resolution.

The Board of Elections said the backup plan is in place and the process is moving forward.