Westchester ballot scanners fail

Ken Jenkins, the executive of Westchester County, New York, said most voting machines in the county were not accepting ballots on Tuesday morning. He reported that the scanners were rejecting ballots at polling locations across the area. Jenkins did not specify the cause of the malfunction or provide a timeline for a repair.

The issues began when polling places opened at 6:00 a.m. Officials instructed voters to remain in line and complete their paper ballots. These ballots are being placed in orange emergency voting bags for later counting. The New York State Board of Elections stated that the voting process has not been interrupted.

The Board of Elections said in a statement that long-standing emergency procedures have been implemented. It noted that completed ballots are being secured under bipartisan control. The agency added that technical problems can be frustrating but that contingency plans exist for such circumstances.

Mike Lawler, a Republican seeking reelection in the Hudson Valley, said all county scanners are out of service. He wrote on X that the Board of Elections is working with vendors to fix the issue. Lawler urged voters to stay in line and not leave polling places without casting their vote. He emphasized that all votes will be counted.

Cait Conley, the Democratic candidate, also posted a message on the topic. She told New Yorkers not to be discouraged and to make their voices heard. Conley said the Board of Elections is handling the matter diligently in a bipartisan way. CBS News reported that she made this statement.

The race between Lawler and Conley for New York's 17th Congressional District is very close. The district covers most of the northern part of Westchester County and a small portion of the south. Letitia James, the New York State Attorney General, said her office is closely monitoring the situation. She assured voters that they can safely complete and submit their ballots at their polling centers and that their votes will count.