Live updates, key races
Key Points:
- Westchester County experienced a widespread voting machine issue on Election Day due to a programming mismatch between pre-printed ballots and scanners, causing ballots to be counted as emergency ballots after polls closed.
- County Executive Ken Jenkins acknowledged the glitch as "unacceptable," assured voters their ballots would count, and stated there was no current need to extend polling hours despite the machine failures.
- The problem did not affect early voting, which used on-demand printed ballots, and was traced to barcode discrepancies on pre-printed ballots provided by an unknown vendor.
- State and county election officials worked to reprogram machines and restore scanning capabilities at polling sites, urging voters to remain in line and use paper ballots, which were secured in emergency bags for counting.
- Local politicians and election groups encouraged voters to stay and vote despite technical issues, emphasizing that all votes would be counted and providing resources for voter assistance.