According to News 12 Westchester reporter Tara Rosenblum, voting equipment throughout the county was experiencing significant difficulties early Tuesday.
The apparent problem involved the paper ballots themselves, which reportedly could not pass through the county’s ballot-scanning machines.
Rosenblum explained the situation in a post on X, reporting that the paper ballots “are too thick for the machines to accept.”
News 12 Westchester subsequently confirmed that election officials were aware of the problem and were working to address it.
“The Westchester County Board of Elections says an issue with the thickness of paper ballots is preventing voting machines from accepting them at polling locations throughout the county,” the station reported.
The equipment failure created an immediate challenge for poll workers, who needed to ensure that voters could still participate despite the scanners being unavailable.
Rather than turning voters away, election officials instructed residents to remain in line, complete their ballots, and hand them directly to election workers.
The Westchester County Board of Elections also issued a statement explaining how the emergency procedure would work.
According to the board, completed ballots would be placed “in a secure bag” until they could be processed.
“Poll workers are correctly allowing voters to fill out a paper emergency ballot,” they said. “Your vote will count.”
Officials emphasized that voters should not abandon their attempt to cast a ballot simply because the machines were malfunctioning.
The board also provided an alternative for residents who preferred to use the regular voting equipment, explaining that those individuals could return later after the scanners had been repaired.
However, the possibility of prolonged delays raised concerns about when election results would become available.
NBC News correspondent Julie Tsirkin addressed the potential consequences in a social media post, warning that “if the issue isn’t fixed, the race may not be called tonight.”
That warning is particularly significant given the national attention surrounding Lawler’s reelection campaign. Republicans are defending a competitive seat, and any substantial delay in processing ballots could complicate the process of determining the outcome.
Lawler himself acknowledged the problem early Tuesday and urged residents not to leave polling locations without casting their votes.
“There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County,” he wrote.
“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.”
The congressman also stressed that the malfunction should not prevent eligible voters from having their ballots included in the final count.
“However, every ballot will be counted,” he added. “Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting.”
Conley, Lawler’s Democratic challenger, also took to social media to encourage voters to remain in line despite the equipment problems.
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that her office was following developments and communicating with election officials.
James said she was “monitoring this issue” and was “in touch” with the relevant authorities.
She also sought to reassure voters that the emergency procedures would allow them to participate in the election.
“Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations,” she wrote. “Your votes will count.”
Several polling locations were reportedly affected by the disruption.
News 12 Westchester identified problems at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library in Montrose, the Ukrainian Youth Center in Yonkers, the Hudson Museum polling site, and Ridgeway Elementary School in White Plains.
The reports of widespread scanner failures raised questions about the underlying technical issue, particularly because the problem appeared to affect multiple locations rather than an isolated polling station.
Election officials had not established whether the difficulty originated with the paper ballots or the scanning equipment when Lawler addressed the situation.
For voters, the immediate concern was straightforward: making sure their completed ballots were properly secured and eventually counted.
For the candidates, however, the disruption introduced another layer of uncertainty into an already closely watched congressional race.
The emergency ballot procedure offered a way to keep voting operations moving, but the manual handling and subsequent processing of ballots could potentially slow down the reporting of results.
Importantly, a delay in announcing election results does not mean ballots have been lost, votes have been discarded, or the outcome has been compromised. Officials have publicly assured voters that ballots submitted through the emergency procedure will count.
Nevertheless, the widespread nature of the malfunction makes transparency and clear communication essential.
Voters deserve a full explanation of what caused the scanners to stop accepting ballots, how the equipment will be repaired, and what procedures will ensure every properly completed ballot is accounted for.
With control of the House potentially influenced by competitive districts like Lawler’s, developments in Westchester County will be closely watched as Election Day unfolds.
For now, both candidates have urged residents to stay in line and exercise their right to vote.
The immediate priority is ensuring that every eligible voter can cast a ballot and that every properly submitted vote is included in the final count.
