Nearly 80,000 emergency ballots scanned as officials work to ensure every valid vote is counted following countywide Election Day disruptions.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — The Westchester County Board of Elections continues processing thousands of emergency ballots cast during the November 3, 2026, general election after a countywide voting machine malfunction prevented scanners from accepting paper ballots at polling locations throughout the county.
The widespread disruption forced election officials to implement emergency voting procedures, allowing residents to complete paper ballots and place them in designated secure ballot bags for later scanning and counting. Despite the confusion, delays, and frustration experienced by voters, the Board of Elections maintained that residents could continue voting and that every properly cast ballot would be secured and counted.
According to the New York State Board of Elections, the malfunction resulted from an election programming update made after voting equipment had initially been prepared and tested. The update affected a contest in one municipality, leaving machines elsewhere in the county operating with outdated programming that could not recognize the Election Day ballots. State officials emphasized that the scanners rejected ballots they could not read rather than incorrectly counting them.
The Westchester Board of Elections initially reported that 15,467 emergency ballots were scanned on Wednesday, November 4, with another 11,462 processed by 1:30 PM on Thursday, November 5. Those figures were preliminary, with counting continuing under bipartisan supervision.
In a subsequent update reported November 6, election officials said they had scanned 79,447 emergency ballots, including 15,467 on Wednesday and 63,980 on Thursday. The figures remain subject to reconciliation and verification as officials work to complete the counting process.
The Board acknowledged the inconvenience and uncertainty caused by the malfunction and reiterated its commitment to maintaining election integrity. Bipartisan election workers are continuing to process ballots in accordance with New York State election law, with established safeguards and verification procedures in place.
While voters and candidates await final results, election officials say accuracy remains the priority. The Board will continue publishing updates as the counting and reconciliation process moves forward.
Voters, candidates, and residents seeking updated election results can visit the official Westchester County election results portal:
https://app.enhancedvoting.com/results/public/westchester-county-ny/elections/2026GeneralElection
The Election Day malfunction disrupted voting across Westchester County, but the Board of Elections insists that every valid ballot will be counted. With public confidence in the electoral process at stake, completing an accurate, transparent count and fully explaining how the countywide failure occurred are essential to restoring voters’ trust.
AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief and co-owner of Black Westchester, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Rap Artist – one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist
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