Westchester County Election Day: Programming Glitch Forces Countywide Emergency Ballot Procedures
On November 3, 2026, Westchester County experienced a widespread voting machine failure that prevented scanners from accepting paper ballots at polling locations across the county. The issue, which began at 6 a.m., stemmed from a programming mismatch caused by a late contest change in one municipality. While early voting was unaffected, Election Day machines retained outdated programming, forcing tens of thousands of voters to use emergency paper ballots placed in orange and blue bags. County Executive Ken Jenkins called the failure 'unacceptable' and promised a bipartisan review, while state officials confirmed the problem was isolated to Westchester. Voters were urged to remain in line, with officials assuring that all ballots would be counted after polls close at 9 p.m.