Westchester: ballot scanners down at most polling sites since 6 AM. Votes go into sealed bags to be counted first, and NY-17 results could be delayed

Ballot scanners at most polling sites in Westchester County, New York, were not accepting ballots after polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday, County Executive Ken Jenkins said, CBS New York reports. Voters are still checking in and filling out their paper ballots, which poll workers put into sealed orange bags. The bags go to the Board of Elections after polls close, and those ballots will be counted first, before ballots that went through machines, the county Board of Elections told News 12.

Jenkins said there was no word yet on when the problem would be fixed. Technicians are being sent to affected sites, and the New York State Board of Elections is working with county officials. Callers reported the problem in Montrose, Yonkers and White Plains, News 12 reports, and NBC New York and ABC7 also report trouble in New Rochelle, North Salem and Ossining. At one White Plains site, a caller told News 12 that some voters were uncomfortable leaving their ballots in bags and were looking to vote elsewhere.

Rep. Mike Lawler (R), who is running for re-election in NY-17, said the cause is not known yet. "The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it. However, every ballot will be counted. Stay on line and vote. Do not leave the polling place without voting," he wrote. His Democratic challenger, Cait Conley, also urged people to vote: "Don't be dissuaded and have your voice heard. The issue is being worked on diligently by the Board of Elections in a bipartisan manner." Attorney General Letitia James said her office is monitoring and in touch with the state and county boards: "Westchester voters can still safely fill out and turn in their ballots at their polling locations. Your votes will count."

Why it matters tonight: NY-17 includes most of northern Westchester as well as Rockland, and Kalshi had the race at 57% for Conley as of 8 AM. Hand-counting the bagged ballots could slow results in one of the closest House races in the country. We have not seen reports of scanner problems in Rockland. Polls in New York are open until 9 p.m.

Update, Nov. 3 (mid-morning): The Westchester Board of Elections revised its statement on the cause and no longer mentions ballot "thickness," FOX 5 NY reports. Ballots are still going into sealed orange emergency bags kept under bipartisan control, and the New York State Board of Elections says there is "no disruption to voting." Gothamist reports that results in the Lawler-Conley race could be delayed. The RNC says the problem has been fixed; we have not seen that confirmed by county officials.