Westchester Election Results On Hold As Ballots Set Aside In Voting Machine Collapse Still Being Tallied

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Nearly two days later, the votes are still being counted in Westchester after nearly all voting machines in the county malfunctioned on Election Day.

The latest update from the Westchester County Board of Elections, on the processing of emergency ballots, offered little insight into how much longer the process will take following the widespread technical issues experienced at polling locations throughout Westchester County on Tuesday.

According to election officials, an issue involving paper ballots prevented voting machines from accepting ballots at nearly all polling locations in Westchester County. The Westchester County Board of Elections said it "immediately began working to address the issue while ensuring that residents could continue exercising their fundamental right to vote."

Established emergency ballot protocols were implemented to allow voting to continue. Voters completed their paper ballots, which were placed in designated secure emergency ballot bags for later processing.

"Throughout Election Day, the Board's message remained clear: Voters were not being turned away, voters were not being instructed to return at a later time, and every properly cast ballot would be secured and counted," the bi-partisan election officials said in a Nov. 5 update. "The Board of Elections recognizes the frustration, confusion and inconvenience this situation caused voters, poll workers and election officials. The Board remains committed to ensuring that every valid ballot is accurately counted and that the integrity of the election process is maintained."

The officials said those emergency ballots are still being tabulated using ballot scanners. The counting process will continue daily until all of the tens of thousands of emergency ballots have been processed.

According to the Westchester County Board of Elections 26,929 of those emergency ballots cast on Election Day have been tallied as of 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. That number represents only fa raction of the estimated number of emergency ballots cast on Election Day.

"While the Board understands the public's desire for immediate results and answers, its primary responsibility at this time is to ensure that every valid ballot is properly processed and counted," election officials said. "This work requires careful attention to detail, established safeguards and thorough verification."