Westchester ballot scanners reject ballots, officials say every vote will count
Ballot scanners at polling places across Westchester County, New York, would not take paper ballots on Election Day, NBC New York, CBS New York and Gothamist report. Officials urged voters to stay in line. They said ballots placed in secure emergency bags will be counted later.
Voters in Westchester County, New York, found on Tuesday that the scanners at their polling places would not accept paper ballots. The trouble began when the polls opened, CBS New York reports. Poll workers are putting completed ballots in orange emergency bags to be counted later, NBC New York reports.
“There is a county-wide issue at all of the polling locations where the ballot is not going through the scanner,” County Executive Ken Jenkins said in a video statement, NBC New York reports.
Officials have not given a final cause. The county Board of Elections first blamed “the thickness of paper ballots,” then issued a correction that dropped the word, NBC New York reports. Governor Kathy Hochul said the problem appeared to stem from the “wrong size paper,” NBC New York reports. “We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine,” Representative Mike Lawler wrote on X, Fox News reports.
“Long-established emergency ballot procedures have been implemented, where completed ballots are secured, under bipartisan control, and will be counted,” the state Board of Elections said, CBS New York reports. Hochul said, “Every single vote will be counted, without a doubt,” NBC New York reports.
Lawler, a Republican, is in a hotly contested House race with Democrat Cait Conley, CBS New York reports. “Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting,” Lawler wrote, CBS New York reports. Conley wrote, “Don’t be dissuaded and have your voice heard,” the outlet reports.
Jenkins said there was “not a need at this time” to keep polls open longer, NBC New York reports. He called the problems “unacceptable,” Fox News reports, and said he will set up a bipartisan team to review what went wrong, Gothamist reports. New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office is watching the situation, CBS New York reports.
What we know: Scanners across the county rejected ballots, and officials say ballots set aside in emergency bags will be counted.
What we don't: What caused the problem, and when the scanners will work again.
Where outlets agree Statements from the county executive and the Board of Elections, as the cited reports quote them, say ballots that scanners reject are being kept in emergency bags to be counted.
Where they differ The county Board of Elections first blamed the thickness of the ballots and then dropped that word, while Hochul pointed to the wrong size of paper, NBC New York reports.