Key facts
- The Westchester County Board of Elections said machines were not accepting paper ballots at polling locations countywide.
- The board said the cause was unclear and that it was working with New York State officials and the county government.
- Westchester County covers roughly 30% of New York's 17th District, held by Representative Mike Lawler.
- Lawler, a Republican, faces Democrat Cait Conley in a race seen as a battleground for House control.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was monitoring the ballot-scanning problem.
- The county government said on its website that every eligible vote would be counted.
Voting machines across New York's Westchester County were not accepting paper ballots on November 3, the county Board of Elections said, a problem that could slow counting in a county that covers roughly 30% of New York's 17th District.
The board said it was speaking with New York State officials and the Westchester County government "to address this issue and ensure that voting continues with as little disruption as possible." The cause was unclear. Election officials first blamed the thickness of paper ballots and later removed that explanation from their statement, according to reports.
Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican seeking a third term against Democrat Cait Conley, said officials were working with vendors to resolve the problem. Conley told voters their ballots would count. The county government said on its website: "Let us be absolutely clear: Every eligible vote will be counted."
New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote on X that her office was monitoring the issue. Voters in the county told Fox 5 NY they had to fill out paper ballots instead of using the machines and that the ballots were placed in a security box. Voters at affected polling locations were urged to remain in line and cast their ballots.
The contest has been treated as a battleground in Democrats' push to gain control of the House. The ballot-scanning problems came as technology vulnerabilities had been a focus heading into the midterms, with researchers saying some vulnerabilities remain in plain sight.