Programming Glitch - Not Paper Weight- Causes Ballots to be Rejected by Scanners in Westchester County

Thousands of ballots for the November 3, 2026 midterm election cannot be fed into the voting machines in Westchester County. Though early voting went smoothly, ballots on election day are being rejected by the scanners.

The Board of Elections initially thought this was an issue with the weight of the paper ballots. However, it turns out that it is a result of a computer glitch.

Here is a notice released by the NYS Board of Elections at 12:57 pm on Election Day.

The good news is that all ballots will be counted and your vote matters. So do not be deterred by the issue and continue with your plans to vote.

Here is the notice from the NYS Board of Elections:

The issue affecting voting machines throughout Westchester County resulted from an update to the county's election programming that occurred after the initial preparation and testing of Election Day voting equipment. A change affecting a contest in one municipality required updated election programming, which was subsequently tested and deployed for early voting and for Election Day machines in that municipality. However, Election Day machines elsewhere in the county continued to use the original programming and therefore could not recognize and accept the ballots being used for Election Day.

The New York State Board of Elections is working closely with the Westchester County Board of Elections to deploy replacement election media using the updated programming previously tested for early voting, which encompasses all contests throughout the county. The immediate priority is to restore scanning capability to at least one voting machine at every polling location, with additional machines being brought online as the day progresses.

In the meantime, voting continues through established emergency ballot procedures. Completed ballots are securely maintained under bipartisan oversight and will be scanned and counted in accordance with established procedures. Restoring scanning capability will also allow emergency ballots cast earlier in the day to be processed as part of the established counting process. There are no identified concerns with the ballot paper or other physical characteristics that would affect its ability to be scanned.

Importantly, the affected scanners rejected ballots they could not properly recognize rather than incorrectly tabulating them. Every valid vote will be counted, and the established canvass, recanvass, and post-election audit procedures will remain in place. Accuracy will never be sacrificed for speed.

At 11 am on November 3, 2026, Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins sent out the following email assuring residents that all votes will be counted. 

Here is his statement:

“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.”

State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins also sought to reassure voters that their votes will be counted. She sent out the following statement at 3 pm on Tuesday:

"We are aware of technical issues affecting ballot scanners at polling locations across Westchester County. I want to be clear: the polls are open, voting is continuing, and voters should not be
discouraged from casting their ballots. If a scanner is not working at your polling location, you can still vote. Your ballot will be securely stored in a designated container and will be counted. Election officials from both parties are working to address the issue as quickly as possible and to ensure the integrity of the voting process.

Please stay in line, cast your ballot, and make your voice heard. Every voter has the right to participate in our democracy, and every properly cast ballot will be counted."