Update, Nov. 3, 2026 (2:23 p.m. ET): Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district includes part of Westchester County, said he expects every ballot cast in the county to be counted. Replacement voting machines that meet federal disability rules are being set up to read the memory sticks from the failed scanners, he said. Ballots cast while the scanners were down are sealed in secure envelopes inside orange emergency bags and will be taken to election headquarters under police escort after polls close at 9 p.m. Lawler called the failure “a screw up” that is being fixed and said there were “no shenanigans.” “I am confident every ballot will be counted,” he said. “I think everybody is justifiably frustrated.” (USA Today, 2:23 p.m. ET.)
Update, Nov. 3, 2026 (1:13 p.m. ET): State election officials say they have found what went wrong in Westchester County. Kathleen McGrath, the New York State Board of Elections’ director of public information, said a change affecting a contest in one municipality was made after the county’s Election Day voting equipment had been prepared and tested. The change required an update to the county’s election programming. Scanners that still carried the original programming could not recognize or accept the ballots used on Tuesday. McGrath said the programming had been tested during early voting and included the correct races for the county. The state board is working with the county board to deliver replacement election media carrying the updated programming. “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,” McGrath said. The state board had found no similar voting-equipment problems outside Westchester County as of Tuesday afternoon. Voting continues on paper ballots in secure emergency bags, and polls remain set to close at 9 p.m.
Update, Nov. 3, 2026 (11:18 a.m. ET): County Executive Ken Jenkins said late Tuesday morning that the county Board of Elections has not indicated it will need to extend voting hours, even though candidates and campaigns have asked — polls remain set to close at 9 p.m. Jenkins said that once the scanner issues are resolved he will convene a bipartisan team to review what went wrong, saying the county had “fallen short” of the standard voters deserve.
If you vote in Westchester County today, your ballot still counts — but it may not go through a scanner.
Scanners at polling places across the county stopped accepting paper ballots on Tuesday morning, almost as soon as polls opened at 6 a.m. Election officials switched to emergency procedures. Voters fill out their paper ballots as usual, and poll workers place the ballots in orange emergency bags. The county says the bags stay secure and monitored, and the ballots will be counted.
The Westchester County Board of Elections said it is aware of “an issue involving the paper ballots that is preventing some voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the County.” The board said it is in constant contact with state officials, the county government and poll workers. It apologized to voters and poll workers for the inconvenience.
“Let us be absolutely clear: Every eligible vote will be counted,” the board said. “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.”
The New York State Board of Elections said there is no disruption to voting. It said long-established emergency ballot procedures are in place, and completed ballots are secured under bipartisan control and will be counted.
County Executive Ken Jenkins spoke in a video released at 10:15 a.m. He said the problem is county-wide and affects polling locations across Westchester.
“People should understand that their vote will be counted. Period. The end,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said there have been questions about keeping polls open longer. He said there is no need for that at this point, but candidates and campaigns have made requests, and the county Board of Elections would make that decision. Polls remain set to close at 9 p.m.
Some voters met the problem early. Brad Kennedy of Croton-on-Hudson said he was the first voter at his polling place when it opened at 6 a.m., and the scanner rejected his ballot again and again. Poll workers told him it was a widespread issue. His ballot went into a secured orange bag.
At midday, officials had not yet identified the cause. Rep. Mike Lawler, whose district includes part of the county, said: “We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it.” His opponent, Cait Conley, also urged voters not to be turned away: “There are technical issues with ballot scanners in Westchester, but don’t worry: you can still vote and every vote is being counted.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office is monitoring the problem and urged voters to stay in line.
What happens tonight is still an open question. The county has said the bags will go to the Board of Elections at the end of the night. It is not yet clear whether counting the bagged ballots will slow down Westchester’s results after polls close at 9 p.m.
What voters should do: Polls are open until 9 p.m. Go to your normal polling place, fill out your paper ballot, and follow the poll workers’ directions. If you are in line, stay in line. Every eligible vote will be counted, county officials say.
Follow tonight’s verified results on the Zark News Election Results 2026 page.
