Westchester Voters Place Ballots in Orange Bags After Scanner Failures

Voters in New Rochelle, North Salem, and Ossining, New York, placed paper ballots into orange emergency bags on Monday after voting machines failed to accept the slips. The issue affected polling places across Westchester County, including St. Paul’s Church in Ossining, where residents reported that the machines rejected every ballot presented to them.

The Westchester County Board of Elections initially attributed the problem to the thickness of the paper ballots in a statement released on Monday. Less than one hour later, the board issued a correction that removed the reference to thickness. The updated statement described the issue as a problem related to paper ballots that prevented voting machines from accepting them at polling locations throughout the county.

In the corrected release, the board assured voters that their ballots were protected and would be counted. Officials stated they are in constant communication with New York State officials, county government leaders, and polling place staff to resolve the issue with minimal interruption. Voters were instructed to continue filling out their paper ballots as directed by election staff.

According to the board, the rejected ballots are being deposited into orange emergency bags. These bags remain under supervision and secure custody. The ballots will be tallied according to current electoral procedures once the immediate issue is addressed. The board asked voters to remain in line, exercise patience, and cast their votes.

The New York State Attorney General’s office confirmed it is monitoring the situation. In a post on social media, the office stated it is in touch with state and local boards of elections as they work on a solution. The office noted that Westchester voters can safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations and that their votes will count.

Local authorities indicated that there is currently no need to extend voting hours in the New York suburbs despite the reports of malfunctioning scanners. The Board of Elections apologized to voters and election staff for the inconvenience caused by the situation.

The board emphasized that all valid votes will be counted. They urged voters not to be discouraged from participating in the election due to the setback, reiterating that the voice and vote of each resident matters in the process.