Westchester voting machines reject paper ballots in a key House race on Election Day

Voting machines across Westchester County, New York, were rejecting paper ballots on Election Day, raising concerns about delays in one of the nation's most competitive House races ¹. The county Board of Elections said it knew of a problem keeping machines at polling sites throughout the county from accepting paper ballots ¹.

The problem appeared shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m. Polls close at 9 p.m. ² No time for a fix had been announced as of the latest reporting ².

On tapeFOX 5 New York · Nov 3

▶7:43

What voters are being told

Voters whose ballots cannot be scanned are being told to put them in orange emergency ballot bags. The Board of Elections says the bags are secure and monitored, and the ballots will be counted under election procedures ²³. Voters told Fox 5 NY they had to fill out paper ballots instead of using the machines ¹.

Officials urged voters at affected sites to stay in line and cast their ballots ¹. Westchester County Government said that "Every eligible vote will be counted." ³

The cause is not settled. ABC7 reported that the board says the problem involves ballot paper thickness ³. Fox 5 NY reported that the county issued a correction after earlier stating the problem was with the thickness of the ballots ². Republican Rep. Mike Lawler said officials were working with vendors to fix it ¹.

State Attorney General Letitia James's office is monitoring the problem and coordinating with state and local election boards, Fox 5 NY reported ².

On tapeFOX 5 New York · Nov 3

▶0:36

A closely watched House race

Westchester covers about 30% of New York's 17th District, which Lawler represents ¹. He faces Democrat Cait Conley in a contest that is a key part of Democrats' push to win control of the House ¹. Results could be delayed in that race while officials deal with the paper ballot problem ¹.

Conley told voters on social media that their ballots would still count ³.

That matters because trust in the vote depends on the machinery working. Emergency ballots are a standard backup, but they usually take longer to count. Older voters who wait in line or worry their ballot did not register may be the first to feel the strain.

The scanner trouble comes as technology weaknesses have been a key issue going into the midterms. Researchers say some vulnerabilities remain in plain sight ¹. Nothing in the reports so far says the Westchester problem was caused by tampering. Officials have not named a cause.

What happens next

Watch for a statement from the Board of Elections on whether the scanners are fixed, and how many ballots end up in emergency bags. Both will affect how quickly the Lawler-Conley result is known.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Westchester County Board of Elections says a paper ballot problem is stopping voting machines from accepting ballots at polling sites countywide ¹.
2. Nov 3, 2026Voters at affected sites are told to use orange emergency ballot bags, and the board says all ballots will be counted ²³.

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<h2>Westchester voting machines reject paper ballots in a key House race on Election Day</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/westchester-voting-machines-reject-paper-ballots-in-a-key-house-race-on-election">The GOP Files</a> on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.</em></p> <p>Voting machines across Westchester County, New York, were rejecting paper ballots on Election Day, raising concerns about delays in one of the nation&#39;s most competitive House races . The county Board of Elections said it knew of a problem keeping machines at polling sites throughout the county from accepting paper ballots .</p> <p>The problem appeared shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m. Polls close at 9 p.m. No time for a fix had been announced as of the latest reporting .</p> <h2>What voters are being told</h2> <p>Voters whose ballots cannot be scanned are being told to put them in orange emergency ballot bags. The Board of Elections says the bags are secure and monitored, and the ballots will be counted under election procedures . Voters told Fox 5 NY they had to fill out paper ballots instead of using the machines .</p> <p>Officials urged voters at affected sites to stay in line and cast their ballots . Westchester County Government said that &quot;Every eligible vote will be counted.&quot;</p> <p>The cause is not settled. ABC7 reported that the board says the problem involves ballot paper thickness . Fox 5 NY reported that the county issued a correction after earlier stating the problem was with the thickness of the ballots . Republican Rep. Mike Lawler said officials were working with vendors to fix it .</p> <p>State Attorney General Letitia James&#39;s office is monitoring the problem and coordinating with state and local election boards, Fox 5 NY reported .</p> <h2>A closely watched House race</h2> <p>Westchester covers about 30% of New York&#39;s 17th District, which Lawler represents . He faces Democrat Cait Conley in a contest that is a key part of Democrats&#39; push to win control of the House . Results could be delayed in that race while officials deal with the paper ballot problem .</p> <p>Conley told voters on social media that their ballots would still count .</p> <p>That matters because trust in the vote depends on the machinery working. Emergency ballots are a standard backup, but they usually take longer to count. Older voters who wait in line or worry their ballot did not register may be the first to feel the strain.</p> <p>The scanner trouble comes as technology weaknesses have been a key issue going into the midterms. Researchers say some vulnerabilities remain in plain sight . Nothing in the reports so far says the Westchester problem was caused by tampering. Officials have not named a cause.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Watch for a statement from the Board of Elections on whether the scanners are fixed, and how many ballots end up in emergency bags. Both will affect how quickly the Lawler-Conley result is known.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/westchester-voting-machines-reject-paper-ballots-in-a-key-house-race-on-election">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/westchester-voting-machines-reject-paper-ballots-in-a-key-house-race-on-election.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Axios, “Voting machine chaos hits key House battleground” (2026-11-03). axios.com/2026/11/03/ny-voting-ballot-polls-ballot-issue
2. Fox 5 NY, “Westchester County ballot scanners down due to issue with paper ballots” (2026-11-03). fox5ny.com/news/westchester-county-ballot-scanner-problems
3. ABC7 New York, “Election Day scanner problem affects Westchester polling sites” (2026-11-03). abc7ny.com/post/election-day-scanner-problem-affects-westche

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