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Westchester County ballot scanners fail on Election Day; ballots moved to warehouse

Officials cited a programming glitch, while Rep. Mike Lawler said the cause was not yet known and conceded late Tuesday.

Published Nov 4, 2026 · 23:12 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Authorities said ballot scanners across Westchester County were not operating Tuesday morning, and voters were told to place paper ballots in secure orange bags.[The Washington Sun]
  • Elections officials attributed the failure to a programming glitch, while Rep. Mike Lawler said the exact cause was not yet known.[Associated Press · The Washington Sun]
  • A judge allowed officials to move thousands of paper ballots to a secure warehouse, and the New York Attorney General's Office is monitoring the issue.[Associated Press · The Washington Sun]
  • Rep. Mike Lawler conceded late Tuesday, while Rep. Claudia Tenney and others alleged Democrats caused the malfunction; that claim is disputed.[Associated Press · The Washington Sun]

Key facts

  • Authorities said none of Westchester County's voting machines were operating on Tuesday morning.[The Washington Sun]
  • The New York Attorney General's Office said it was monitoring a widespread ballot scanner issue that may force election workers to count votes by hand.[The Washington Sun]
  • The Westchester County Board of Elections said voters should place ballots in secure, monitored orange emergency bags.[The Washington Sun]
  • Elections officials said a programming glitch followed a software update for one municipal contest made after machines were tested.[Associated Press]
  • A judge allowed elections officials to move thousands of paper ballots to a secure warehouse.[Associated Press]
  • Rep. Mike Lawler conceded defeat late Tuesday despite the delayed counting.[Associated Press]
  • Rep. Claudia Tenney and conservative commentator Laura Loomer alleged that Democrats were behind the malfunction, a claim that is disputed.[The Washington Sun]

What remains uncertain

  • The exact cause remains unresolved: Rep. Mike Lawler said it was not yet known, while elections officials cited a programming glitch.[Associated Press · The Washington Sun]
  • Allegations of deliberate manipulation by Democrats are disputed and are not established by the reporting.[The Washington Sun]
  • It is unclear when the scanning machines will be back online.[The Washington Sun]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.