And So It Begins: Voting Machines Are Not Working in a Key GOP District

Well, it's already happening.

When polls opened at 6 a.m. on Election Day in Westchester County, N.Y., ballot scanners at most polling sites stopped accepting ballots. Poll workers told voters to stay in line, fill out paper ballots, and drop them into orange emergency ballot bags so they can be counted later.

Sounds secure, doesn’t it?

What caused the breakdown? When will it be fixed? County Executive Ken Jenkins didn't answer either question.

The New York State Board of Elections, meanwhile, claimed voting wasn't disrupted at all. "Long-established emergency ballot procedures have been implemented, where completed ballots are secured, under bipartisan control, and will be counted," the board said in a statement. "While technical issues can be frustrating, contingency procedures exist for precisely these circumstances."

Frustrating? Voters who showed up to find dead machines and a bag of paper ballots would probably pick a stronger word.

🚨UPDATE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY: Republicans and Democrats in New York are seeking a joint court order to require central tabulation of ballots at the County Board of Elections. This will ensure maximum transparency and accountability. RNC observers will be on the ground to monitor the process and protect the vote.

— RNC Election Integrity (@RNCVoteProtect) November 3, 2026

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who is running for reelection in that district, said every scanner in the county was down.

"We do not yet know the exact cause of the issue, whether it is the ballot or the machine," Lawler wrote on X. "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."

I don’t want to be “that guy,” but this is happening in a Republican district that Democrats desperately want to flip. Lawler's district is one of the most hotly contested seats in the country.

Related: Hmmm... Why Is Hillary Clinton Making Excuses for Democrats Losing the Midterms?

"Don't be dissuaded and have your voice heard," Lawler’s Democrat challenger, Cait Conley, said on X. "The issue is being worked on diligently by the Board of Elections in a bipartisan manner."

Does it feel like this happens every election?

This is America. It's ridiculous that we have so many issues with voting. We spend billions on election infrastructure, hire vendors, run tests, and certify equipment, and somehow the machines still fail on the one day they absolutely have to work.

Problems like this invite questions about election integrity and sabotage. Maybe that's not what happened here. But, come on, aren’t these things tested in advance? How many times do problems like this have to happen before we get an election where it doesn’t?

The silence from county officials only makes it worse. Voters deserve to know what broke, which vendor is responsible, and who will be held accountable. "Trust us" isn't an explanation, and it certainly isn't good enough on Election Day.

It’s 2026, more than a quarter-century after the infamous 2000 election debacle. There’s no excuse for this kind of thing to be happening anymore.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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