The issue was reported in Westchester County, NY, with the county's Board of Elections saying they were "aware of an issue involving paper ballots that is preventing voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the County," the county said in a statement.
Westchester County is part of New York's 17th congressional district, one of the marquee races of the 2026 midterm elections, with incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler, R, trying to fend off Democrat challenger Cait Conley in a district won by Kamala Harris in 2024.
The 17th Congressional District includes all of Rockland and Putnam counties and portions of Westchester and Dutchess counties, and is considered one of the most competitive House districts in the country and could play a key role in determining control of Congress after Tuesday's election.
Democrats only need a net gain of three seats to gain control of the House.
Despite the technical problems, the Westchester Board of Elections stressed that every vote will be counted and that ballots are secured. Ballots will be placed in designated orange emergency ballot bags, which will remain "secure and monitored," the Board of Elections said.
"We strongly encourage all voters to remain in line, exercise patience and, most importantly, cast their ballots," the Board of Elections said.
Cause Determined
The New York State Board of Elections said the issue stemmed from an "update to the county's election programming" that happened after the initial testing of voting equipment.
Officials added that a change affecting a race in one municipality required updated election programming that was tested and deployed for both early voting and for machines used on Election Day in that municipality.
In the rest of the county though, the machines used the original programming. Because of this, they did not recognize and accept the ballots used on Election Day.
The NYS Board said it is now working with the Westchester County Board of Elections to deploy replacement election media that uses the updated programming used for early voting.
"The immediate priority is to restore scanning capability to at least one voting machine at every polling location, with additional machines being brought online as the day progresses," the NYS Board of Elections said.
Until this is done, voting will continue using the emergency ballot bags. The ballots in the bags will be processed once scanning capability is restored, officials said.
The Board also added that there were no identified concerns with the ballot paper or other physical attributes that would affect the machines' scanning abilities.
"Importantly, the affected scanners rejected ballots they could not properly recognize rather than incorrectly tabulating them," the Board of Elections said.
Candidates, Elected Officials React
On Election Day, both Lawler and Conley urged voters to remain in line and cast their ballots.
"There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County," Lawler said. "Every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting."
"Westchester! There are technical issues with ballot scanners in Westchester, but don't worry: you can still vote and every vote is being counted! Don't be dissuaded and have your voice heard," Conley said. "The issue is being worked on diligently by the Board of Elections in a bipartisan manner. The Polls are open and operational, and every vote cast will be counted. Please stay in line and have your voice heard as they work to resolve the issue."
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is also up for re-election, said her office was monitoring the issue. The Westchester County Board of Elections apologized for the snafu.
"The BOE sincerely apologizes to voters and poll workers for the inconvenience this situation has caused, and the BOE recognizes the importance of a smooth and efficient voting process," the Board of Elections said. "They are taking every necessary step to address the issue as quickly as possible. Let us be absolutely clear: Every eligible vote will be counted. No voter should be discouraged from participating in this election because of this issue. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Please stay in line and vote."
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said he instructed representatives from the county's law department to "monitor the voting process and ensure that voters can cast their ballots without interference and that every vote is properly and accurately counted."
Jenkins vowed to hold those responsible for the error accountable.
"Once these issues are resolved, I will convene a bipartisan team to conduct a thorough review of the decisions and failures that led to this debacle, determine where accountability lies and ensure that this never happens again," Jenkins said. "Westchester County voters deserve a fair, secure and seamless election process. Today, we have fallen short of that standard. The voters deserve better, and I intend to make sure they get it."
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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