Westchester Voters Use Paper Ballots as Scanners Fail

Voting machines at every polling location in Westchester County, New York, rejected ballots early Tuesday morning. The failure began at 6 a.m. when scanners failed to read the paper documents. Officials stated that the issue affected the entire county, forcing a shift to manual procedures.

The state Board of Elections identified the cause as a programming mismatch. A code update was applied for Election Day voting in one specific municipality. However, the machines in the rest of the county retained the old programming. This discrepancy prevented the scanners from recognizing the new ballot format. The board clarified that the machines rejected the votes rather than counting them incorrectly.

County Executive Ken Jenkins initially cited a printer problem. He suggested the ballots themselves were unreadable. The Board of Elections pushed back on that explanation, pointing instead to the software error. Jenkins later agreed that a bipartisan team would investigate the incident to determine the root cause.

Voters followed emergency procedures that have been in place for years. Poll workers instructed people to stay in line. Voters filled out paper ballots and placed them into orange emergency bags. These bags were sealed under bipartisan oversight. The board stated that these ballots will be scanned and counted according to established rules. Jenkins emphasized that the one scanner at each site used for voters with impairments was being reprogrammed to handle the new format.

The polls remained open until 9 p.m. Jenkins said there was no need to extend voting hours. He urged voters to continue going to their assigned locations. He stated that every valid vote would be counted. He told residents that the process was complete and final. He asked voters not to leave the polling place without casting their ballots.

Local candidates also addressed the situation. Republican Mike Lawler, running for reelection in New York's 17th Congressional District, said the board was working with vendors. He urged residents to stay on line and vote. His Democratic challenger, Cait Conley, posted on social media that the issue was being handled in a bipartisan manner. She encouraged residents to have their voices heard. Both candidates noted that the race for the 17th District, which includes most of northern Westchester, is closely contested.

Statewide officials monitored the event. New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was watching the situation. She confirmed that voters could safely submit their ballots. Governor Kathy Hochul and her challenger Bruce Blakeman both spoke to the public. Hochul reassured residents that their votes would count. Blakeman told voters not to leave without casting their ballots. Residents in Elmsford and Tarrytown reported that the process felt routine. One voter, Cathy Ronan, said the backups had been known for years. Another voter said the instructions to authenticate and use the sealed bag were clear.