Paper ballots in NY county unable to be accepted by voting machines, will still be counted

Voting machines in Westchester County, New York, the state's seventh most populous county, are not accepting paper ballots at polling locations throughout the county, the Westchester County Board of Elections said in a statement Tuesday morning.

"The Westchester County Board of Elections (BOE) 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 statement read.

The board relayed that it is communicating with state and county officials and with poll workers to address the issue while repeatedly affirming to voters that all paper ballots will be counted.

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"Voters should continue to complete their paper ballots as instructed by poll workers. Ballots that cannot be processed by voting machines will be placed in designated orange emergency ballot bags, which will remain secure and monitored. These ballots will subsequently be counted," the BOE said.

In a statement, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, "My office is fully aware of the ongoing problems with ballots and voting scanners across Westchester County, and I want to be absolutely clear: this situation is unacceptable.

"Voters should remain in line and exercise their right to vote. Every eligible voter will have the opportunity to cast their ballot, and every vote must be counted. I have directed County officials, including representatives from our 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.

"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.

"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," Jenkins said.

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., first alerted voters to an apparent ballot scanner problem in the county in a Tuesday morning post on X.

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"There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County. 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," Lawler wrote.

"However, every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting," Lawler's post concluded.

Lawler also revealed while speaking to CNN reporters outside a polling location in Pearl River, New York, that the issue appeared to be that the paper ballots were too thick to be read by the machines.

"There was an issue with the thickness of the ballot and the formatting of the machines. And so none of the machines were accepting the ballot across the entire county," Lawler told CNN.

"As is often the case, when there's an emergency, they take the ballot, and they put it in an emergency voting bag. Every ballot will be counted. And everybody should be rest assured that their vote will count. They should wait on line. I know the lines may be impacted a little bit. With some delays, but do not leave the line. Make sure you vote. Your vote will be counted. The machines are being fixed," he said.

The board echoed Lawler's insistence that all votes would be counted.

"We strongly encourage all voters to remain in line, exercise patience and, most importantly, cast their ballots," the board added.

The board also apologized to voters and to poll workers for the inconvenience.

"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," the board's statement said.

Voter Patrick Reagan, who has been voting in Westchester County for the last 40 years, spoke to Fox News outside a polling place in Yonkers.

"I hope all the votes are going to be corrected properly and accounted for. And, you know, it's a big year for everybody just voting. You know, we need to keep the country safe and good. And I hope, it's going to turn out the way I wanted to," Reagan said.

Voter Linda Giaimo, a woman who took her friend to vote, said she would be calling the Board of Elections about what was happening on Election Day.

"It's all through Westchester County, that all these machines are down. So now we've got to put our vote in a bag and believe that that bag is going to be delivered. I got a problem with this," Giaimo said.

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New York's Democratic Attorney General Letitia James also weighed in.

"My office is monitoring this issue with scanners in Westchester and is in touch with the state and local Boards of Elections as they work on a solution. Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will count," she wrote in a Tuesday morning post on X.

James also reminded state residents that New York has a dedicated Election Protection Hotline — (866) 390-2992 — to assist New Yorkers experiencing issues at the polls.

"Today is your opportunity to make your voice heard, and every eligible New Yorker deserves to cast their ballot without fear or intimidation," James said in a statement. "My office is here to help New Yorkers navigate any problems they encounter at the polls and ensure their voices are heard. If you experience an issue while voting today, call our Election Protection Hotline. We are ready to help," she continued.

New York's polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 9 p.m.

Fox News Digital contacted Rep. Mike Lawler for further comment.