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Key NY House race thrown into chaos over bizarre issue with voting ballot ‘thickness’
Developed over time first seen 3 hours ago
Voting machines at polling places across New York’s Westchester County began rejecting paper ballots on 3 November, disrupting in-person voting in a closely watched congressional contest. The county’s Board of Elections initially attributed the problem to the thickness of the ballot paper, but later removed that explanation from its statement. The precise cause had not been established. Officials said voting could continue while they worked with state authorities and technicians to resolve the scanner problem.
Poll workers were instructed to place completed ballots that could not be scanned in secure, monitored emergency bags for counting under election procedures. Officials urged voters to stay in line and said every eligible vote would be counted. The disruption matters especially in New York’s 17th Congressional District, where Republican incumbent Mike Lawler faces Democrat Cait Conley in a race that could help determine control of the US House of Representatives. Counting the affected ballots may delay the result, but the scanner failure does not mean those votes have been lost.
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In short
- Scanners rejected paper ballots across Westchester County.
- Officials withdrew an initial explanation blaming ballot thickness.
- Affected votes are being secured for counting in a key House race.
How this story developed
- 2 hours ago Voting machines at polling places across New York’s Westchester County began rejecting paper ballots on 3 November, disrupting in-person voting in a closely watched congressional contest.
Explained simply
Westchester County is in New York state, where voters choose representatives for the US Congress as well as local officials. Paper ballots are usually read by scanners at polling places; election rules provide for ballots that a scanner cannot read to be kept securely and counted through another process.
The 17th Congressional District is represented by Republican Mike Lawler, who is seeking re-election against Democrat Cait Conley. The contest is one of several that could affect which party controls the House of Representatives, one of the two chambers of the US Congress.
The county’s election authorities oversee voting locally, while state officials can assist with technical problems. A scanner fault can slow the count and delay a result, but ballots set aside under the emergency procedure are still due to be counted.
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