Election Day 2026: Westchester County Blues

A major mess in Westchester County, New York leads to a few comments on risk management — from the voter side as well as the Board of Elections side. We don’t yet know why there has been a malfunction in the process in Westchester County, but voting early instead of waiting until Election Day may be a better strategy for many going forward, don’t you think? Episode Links Update (after recording audio): Looks like it was re-programming AFTER THE TESTING WAS DONE The Croton Chronicle: Westchester County voting problems traced to programming issue, state officials say. 3 Nov 2026, lohud.com: Westchester voting problems traced to programming issue, state officials say The New York State Board of Elections had identified no similar voting-equipment problems outside Westchester County as of Tuesday afternoon, a state election official said. Kathleen McGrath, the state board’s director of public information, said the Westchester problem stemmed from a change affecting a contest in one municipality after the county’s Election Day voting equipment had been prepared and tested. The change required an update to the county’s election programming. I will definitely be having a part two on this, because **I HAVE THOUGHTS.** **Anyway, the ballot printers may be off the hook.** North Salem News Westchester ballots rejected by scanners; voting continues **3 Nov, last updated: 10:57am ET** The pre-printed Election Day ballots being used across Westchester County were produced by Phoenix Graphics, a Rochester-based company with a history of errors involving election materials. The company, whose election-printing operation is branded Phoenix Graphics Election Printing, describes itself as New York State’s largest supplier of ballot materials and says it serves 46 counties. Election officials have distinguished Tuesday’s pre-printed ballots from those printed on demand during early voting, when voters did not experience the same scanning problems. In 2020, Phoenix Graphics produced absentee ballot packages for Brooklyn voters that included return oath envelopes bearing other voters’ names and addresses. Approximately 99,000 packages from the affected print run were replaced at the company’s expense because officials could not determine precisely which packages contained errors. A subsequent New York City Department of Investigation inquiry found deficiencies in the company’s quality controls but no evidence of intentional interference with the printing or assembly process. In 2023, Phoenix Graphics acknowledged a separate error involving Nassau County voter information cards that incorrectly identified recipients as Democrats regardless of their actual party affiliations. Election officials said the underlying registration records remained accurate. The company attributed the mistake to human error and agreed to provide corrected cards at no cost to taxpayers. State campaign-finance filings also document contributions by Phoenix Graphics to organizations associated with both major parties. Between 2010 and 2020, reported contributions included $60,000 combined to two Monroe County Republican committees and $28,400 to the Monroe County Democratic Committee. The Westchester County Board of Elections has urged voters to remain in line and complete their ballots as directed by poll workers. Ballots that cannot be scanned are being secured in designated orange emergency ballot bags, which officials said will remain monitored and will be counted in accordance with election procedures. Westchester County Board of Elections: Statement (accessed at noon ET)2 Published: 03 November 2026 ***Your Vote Matters. Your Vote Will Count.*** The Westchester County Board of Elections (BOE) is aware of an issue involving paper ballots that is preventing voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the County. The Westchester Board of Elections wants to reassure every voter that your vote matters, your ballot will be secure and your vote will be counted. The Board of Elections is in constant communication with New York State officials, Westchester County Government and poll workers to address this issue and ensure that voting continues with as little disruption as possible. In the meantime, voters should continue to complete their paper ballots as instructed by poll workers. Ballots will be placed in designated orange emergency ballot bags, which will remain secure and monitored. These ballots will subsequently be counted in accordance with applicable election procedures. We strongly encourage all voters to remain in line, exercise patience and, most importantly, cast their ballots. The BOE sincerely apologizes to voters and poll workers for the inconvenience this situation has caused, and the BOE recognizes the importance of a smooth and efficient voting process. They are taking every necessary step to address the issue as quickly as possible. Let us be absolutely clear: Every eligible vote will be counted. No voter should be discouraged from participating in this election because of this issue. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Please stay in line and vote. Screenshot of Lawler tweet: WESTCHESTER COUNTY EXECUTIVE KEN JENKINS STATEMENT ON BALLOT ISSUES IN COUNTY New York’s 17th District: Wikipedia STUMP - Meep on public finance, pensions, mortality and more is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to STUMP - Meep on public finance, pensions, mortality and more at marypatcampbell.substack.com/subscribe