Ballot Scanners Fail Across Westchester County as Rep. Lawler Demands Every Vote Be Counted

Widespread voting machine malfunctions disrupted Election Day in New York’s Westchester County on Tuesday, with ballot scanners rejecting paper ballots at polling locations and election officials resorting to emergency procedures to preserve votes for counting later.

The problems prompted concerns about the handling of ballots in one of New York’s most populous counties, particularly as voters cast their ballots in several closely contested races, including the battle between Republican Congressman Mike Lawler and Democrat Cait Conley in the 17th Congressional District.

Appearing on Newsmax’s “National Report,” Lawler described the situation as “very frustrating not only for us but for voters,” while calling on election officials to ensure that the technical difficulties would not prevent anyone from having their vote counted.

“This is a county of over a million people. It’s one of the largest counties in the state,” Lawler said. “And we need to make sure that every single vote is counted, that every single ballot is counted, that everybody stays online and exercises their right to vote.”

According to reports, ballot scanners at polling sites throughout Westchester were refusing to accept completed paper ballots. Election workers were instructed to secure the ballots in emergency storage bags so they could be processed once the technical problems were addressed.

The Westchester County Board of Elections acknowledged the widespread difficulties and apologized to voters, although officials initially provided no definitive explanation for the failures or a timetable for restoring normal operations.

“Let us be absolutely clear: Every eligible vote will be counted,” Democrat Commissioner Tajian M. Nelson and Republican Commissioner Douglas A. Colety said in a joint statement.

Lawler said Republican and Democratic election officials had agreed to consolidate the counting process at a central facility rather than attempting to tabulate the affected ballots separately at each polling location.

“So everything will be in one location so that we can oversee, we can monitor, we can make sure that every ballot is counted,” he said.

Election officials initially pointed to the thickness of the ballot paper as a possible explanation for the failures. However, the county subsequently removed that explanation from its public statement, leaving the precise cause unresolved. The difficulties reportedly began when polling places opened at 6 a.m., even though the scanners had functioned during early voting.

The New York State Board of Elections joined county officials and equipment vendors in investigating the malfunction. New York Attorney General Letitia James also announced that her office was monitoring the situation and reassured residents that they could continue submitting ballots safely.

The disruption has drawn particular attention because of the closely contested race in New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Lawler is seeking a third term against Conley. The district includes portions of Westchester and Dutchess counties, along with Rockland and Putnam counties, and is considered a potentially decisive battleground in the fight for control of the House of Representatives.

Lawler said the campaign has attracted more than $60 million in spending and expressed confidence that voters would return him to Washington.

“My constituents know me. We’ve delivered real results for them, including delivering the largest tax cut in American history, securing the border,” he said.

The Republican congressman also criticized Conley’s political record and connections to Virginia, accusing his Democratic opponent of supporting policies that would increase taxes.

Despite the equipment failures, Lawler urged residents not to abandon their plans to vote or allow election predictions to discourage them.

“Don’t believe the pollsters, the pundits, the media. Just vote. Get out and vote,” Lawler urged.

Conley likewise encouraged voters to remain at their polling locations and cast their ballots despite the technical difficulties.