It's Election Day in America, and already we have a familiar problem: Voting machines aren't working.
This time, the trouble is in Westchester County, New York, where ballot scanners began rejecting voters' ballots shortly after polls opened at 6 AM Tuesday. The problems were widespread enough that county officials acknowledged a system-wide malfunction, leaving voters filling out paper ballots while election workers scrambled to find a solution.
And this isn't some tiny rural county with a handful of precincts. Westchester, just north of New York City, is home to roughly a million people and includes communities where consequential congressional races are being decided.
As someone who lived in Westchester a few years ago, I know the area well. It's one of the wealthiest suburban counties in America, with a political establishment that is very comfortable spending taxpayer money. Apparently, ensuring that ballot scanners work when voters actually need them remains a challenge.
According to the New York Post, County Executive Ken Jenkins confirmed that voting machines at numerous polling places were rejecting ballots.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who is fighting for reelection in the region, sounded the alarm.
"There is a problem with every ballot scanner in Westchester County," Lawler wrote. "We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine. The Board of Elections is working with their vendors to resolve it."
But Lawler's most important message was directed at voters: "Do not leave the polling place without voting."
🚨 WESTCHESTER COUNTY: YOU CAN STILL VOTE. The RNC is on the ground and in contact with local election officials. We have extra observers deployed to ensure voters can still cast their votes by paper ballot. Get out and make your voice heard! Report concerns ⬇️
— RNC Election Integrity (@RNCVoteProtect) November 3, 2026
Local reports indicate the problems extended across communities including Yonkers, White Plains, and Montrose. According to News 12, election workers were instructed to continue checking voters in, provide paper ballots, and secure those ballots in designated orange bags for counting.
The New York State Board of Elections was investigating the malfunction, while technicians worked to restore the scanners.
A ballot scanner malfunction doesn't mean a vote has been lost, and officials say the paper ballots will be counted. But voters shouldn't have to wonder whether election equipment will function on the one day when reliability is absolutely essential.
And Westchester isn't the first election jurisdiction to encounter problems this week.
On Monday, Maricopa County, Arizona, announced that two vote centers, Paradise Valley Community College and Sunset Canyon School, had temporarily closed because of power-related problems.
The county elections department subsequently confirmed that both locations reopened. Still, voters arriving during the disruption had to find another voting center or return later.
That was precisely the kind of situation Republican activist Scott Presler had warned about while encouraging supporters to vote early.
"So, when people attack me for pushing early voting, this is exactly what I'm talking about," Presler wrote, responding to the Maricopa County announcement.
His point is difficult to dismiss. Voting early gives Americans another opportunity to cast their ballots before Election Day equipment failures, bad weather, unexpected work obligations, or other disruptions complicate their plans.
Westchester has become a particularly important Democrat stronghold in New York. Donald Trump lost the county by approximately 26 points in 2024, although the Republican share improved substantially from 2020.
In a state where closely contested House districts could help determine control of Congress, these kinds of breakdowns once again highlight our flawed election system.
For anyone still planning to vote in Westchester, don't leave without casting your ballot. If the scanner isn't working, ask election workers about the official emergency paper ballots and the proper way to cast them.
Americans don’t only deserve a better government, they deserve a better election system.