By Basant El-Faramawy
Ballot tabulators malfunctioned across Westchester County, New York, on Tuesday, disrupting voting in 44 of the county's 45 municipalities and fueling a wave of conspiracy theories online. The issue, attributed to a programming error by state election officials, emerged early on Election Day as voters cast hand-marked paper ballots.
Tabulator failures prompt contingency plans
Election officials directed voters to deposit their ballots into secure orange bags, following standard contingency procedures. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said alternate tabulators were being deployed and that ballots stored in the bags would be counted after polls closed at 9 p.m. The New York State Board of Elections confirmed that long-established emergency procedures had been implemented, with completed ballots secured under bipartisan control.
Competitive House race adds tension
The malfunction drew heightened attention because Westchester is home to a closely watched House race in the 17th Congressional District. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler faces Democrat Cait Conley, a veteran and former Biden cybersecurity official, in a contest that could help determine control of Congress. Both candidates urged voters not to be dissuaded by the technical problems.
Officials assure votes will be counted
Gov. Kathy Hochul emphasized that every vote would be counted, repeating the assurance multiple times. She described the resolution as bipartisan and said the backup plan was in place, urging voters to feel confident. Isolated ballot scanner issues are routine, though they have been particularly common in New York state in recent years, including scanner jams in New York City in 2018 and tabulator issues in Queens in 2024.
Conspiracy theories spread online
Despite official explanations, the malfunction quickly became fodder for conspiracy narratives. Pro-Republican influencers and some elected officials framed the problems as deliberate attempts to disadvantage their candidates. Rep. Claudia Tenney, chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, accused Democrats of cheating, while podcaster Laura Loomer and conservative commentator Katie Miller amplified similar claims. Researchers warned that such misrepresentations of routine glitches could lay groundwork for challenging election results.
Similar issues reported in other states
Ballot tabulator problems also occurred in Florida and Oklahoma on Tuesday, while power outages and flooding shuttered some polling sites, including in Maricopa County, Arizona. In Oklahoma City, election board secretary Doug Sanderson said early-day machine issues were common but were receiving far more attention than usual due to the heightened political climate.
Voters largely undeterred at polling sites
At a Sleepy Hollow polling location, voting proceeded smoothly despite the scanner outage. By 12:30 p.m. ET, only two of 225 voters had left because of the tabulator issue, with most having already learned of the problem via text messages or neighbors. Poll workers reported that the majority of voters remained patient and continued to cast their ballots.
