Ballot-scanning problems were reported Tuesday morning in New York’s Westchester County, which contains part of the closely contested 17th Congressional District.
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is facing Democratic challenger Cait Conley in the race.
The New York State Board of Elections attributed the malfunction to a last-minute programming update made in one municipality.
“A change affecting a contest in one municipality required updated election programming, which was subsequently tested and deployed for early voting and for Election Day machines in that municipality,” the board said in a statement. “However, Election Day machines elsewhere in the county continued to use the original programming and therefore could not recognize and accept the ballots being used for Election Day.”
Voting continued under established emergency ballot procedures while officials worked to correct the issue. “Completed ballots are securely maintained under bipartisan oversight and will be scanned and counted in accordance with established procedures,” the board said.
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Officials also assured voters that “every valid vote will be counted.”
Speaking with reporters Tuesday afternoon, Lawler said representatives from both parties and both campaigns were cooperating to address the problem.
“We’ve been working in a bipartisan way, Republicans and Democrats, both campaigns, both state parties, both national committees, to come to a solution working with the Westchester County Board of Elections and the State Board of Elections,” he said.
Lawler and Conley both encouraged voters to remain in line and cast their ballots.
