Westchester NY Ballot Scanner Failure: Votes Still Counted

Voting machines across Westchester County, New York, would not accept paper ballots at polling places on Tuesday, the county Board of Elections said. The board says the ballots are not lost: they are being sealed in orange emergency bags and will be counted later. The cause is not officially confirmed, though one congressman says the ballots were too thick for the scanners to read.

What happened

The Westchester County Board of Elections issued a statement Tuesday morning saying some machines were rejecting ballots countywide, and that it was working with state and county officials and poll workers on the problem. Its instruction to voters was simple: fill out the paper ballot as poll workers direct, and stay in line.

Ballots the scanners cannot process go into designated orange emergency ballot bags, which the board says will stay secure and monitored before being counted.

County Executive Ken Jenkins called the situation “unacceptable” and said he had directed county officials, including the Law Department, to monitor the process. He said he will convene a bipartisan team after the issues are resolved to review what went wrong and where accountability lies.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., was among the first to flag the problem publicly. Speaking to CNN outside a polling site in Pearl River, he said the ballots appeared too thick for the machines and that the formatting of the scanners was also a factor. The Board of Elections has not confirmed that explanation.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was monitoring and in contact with state and local election boards. She pointed voters to the state’s Election Protection Hotline at (866) 390-2992. Polls opened at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

Why it matters

Westchester is New York’s seventh most populous county, so a countywide scanner failure touches a large number of voters on a single day. The immediate risk is not lost votes, based on official statements, but delay and confusion: longer lines, ballots handled by hand, and voters who may leave without casting a ballot.

The count will also take longer. Ballots in emergency bags must be retrieved and processed separately, which this suggests could slow results from affected precincts. The episode is likely to feed existing scrutiny of New York’s election administration, and Jenkins has already promised a post-election review.

Key facts at a glance

What this means for you

• If you are voting in Westchester: stay in line and complete your ballot as poll workers instruct. Officials say every ballot will be counted.
• Expect delays. Hand processing of emergency ballots likely means slower results from affected precincts.
• Report problems. New York voters can call the Election Protection Hotline at (866) 390-2992.
• Treat the cause as unconfirmed. The thickness explanation comes from one lawmaker, not the Board of Elections.

Frequently asked questions

Will my ballot count if the machine rejected it?

Yes, according to the Board of Elections. Rejected ballots go into orange emergency bags and are counted afterward.

What caused the scanner problem?

Officials have not confirmed a cause. Rep. Mike Lawler said the ballots were too thick and the machines’ formatting was a factor. The board says it is working with vendors.

What time do polls close in New York?

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

Who can I call if I have a problem at the polls?

The New York Election Protection Hotline, (866) 390-2992, cited by Attorney General Letitia James.

What to watch next

Whether the Board of Elections confirms a cause and whether machines are repaired before polls close. Also watch the timeline for counting emergency-bag ballots and the bipartisan review Jenkins has promised once the issue is resolved.