Widespread problems with voting machines in Westchester County

We are keeping a close eye on breaking news this morning, Election Day. Voters across Westchester County have been experiencing technical difficulties at their polling sites this morning. This as we watch several races that could change the balance of power in D.C. Robert Moses in Hawthorne in Westchester County. What are you hearing from people who are trying to vote? Well, Rosanna, we just heard about this problem shortly after the polls open. We started hearing about it sometime late in the 6 o'clock hour this morning. Polls have been open since 6 a.m. So within that first hour or so, this problem started to creep up. And we have just gotten a statement from Westchester County. I want to put it up on your screen if we can. The statement reads, in part, the Westchester County Board of Elections is aware of an issue involving paper ballots. That is preventing voting machines from accepting ballots at polling locations throughout the county. The statement goes on to say the Board of Elections wants to reassure every voter that your vote matters. Your ballot will be secure and your vote will be counted. Voters should continue to complete their paper ballots as instructed by poll workers. Now, it's interesting to note that this statement was amended. The first statement we got alluded to a problem with the thickness. Of paper ballots getting fed into those scanners, but now the county seems to say that it's just an issue with the ballots in general and not necessarily with the thickness. Regardless, this is an issue that has been happening countywide, and I got a chance to speak to some voters here about their experience this morning. We just tried my ballot and it was down. So you just cast your ballot on paper? Yes, and then they put it into a security bag. And that makes you okay with that? Yeah, I mean, it's just like anyone else who sends it in through an envelope and it gets to get counted. It's like the old school, you just fill out the ballot. Instead of just putting it into the machine, they have a security box that goes in there. I guess they're out across the county, they said. So you felt confident just voting on paper? I don't really have a choice, right? If I didn't do early voting, you got to, this is the way it goes. Hopefully the system works and everything will be counted properly. So again, just to emphasize, your vote will be counted. It will be counted properly. No change there. The only change is that these ballot scanners are down as of now here in Westchester. We'll continue to follow this for you and bring you any updates as soon as we get them. But next, I want to talk about exactly why we're here. This is a battleground district, the 17th district covering the lower Hudson Valley. And the race here pits two-term incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Lawler against Democrat Kay Connolly, an Army veteran. This district, as I said, covering much of the lower Hudson Valley. It voted for Kamala Harris narrowly back in 2024. Polls show a tight race here between Lawler and Connolly. This is one example of a seat that Republicans need to hold in order to maintain control of the House. Another example of that is in New Jersey's 7th. District where Republican incumbent Tom Cain Jr. is trying to beat Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Cain says that depression caused his nearly four-month-long absence from the House earlier this year. Polls show Bennett leading him by a slim margin. All right, that's the House. Let's talk about the Senate. What a ride there. Democrats have to hold their current seats and flip four to retake that chamber. Texas could help them. In the Lone Star State, Democrat James Tallarico appears to be leading Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for the seat left vacant by the retiring Republican Senator John Cornyn. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988. That may change today. Now to Michigan, where polls show Democrat Abdul El-Sayed leading Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in the race to succeed the retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters. Shockwaves in Michigan over the weekend when Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens crossed party lines to endorse the Republican Rogers. In South Carolina, Darlene Graham is trying to hold the seat left vacant by her late brother, Senator Lindsey Graham. She faces a challenge from the Democratic nominee Dr. Annie Andrews. South Carolina has not elected a Democrat to the Senate in nearly three decades. Now we head to Maine. Five-term Republican Senator Susan Collins is trying to hold on to her seat, but it's a struggle. Democrat Troy Jackson is leading her according to the most recent polls there. And in Alaska, storylines abound there. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan trying to fend off challenges from former Congresswoman Mary Peltola and a retired teacher who also happens to be named Dan Sullivan. A federal judge Sunday dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit trying to block certification of the election proactively if the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. The suit followed allegations that Democrats tried to recruit a retired teacher named Dan Sullivan in an effort to confuse voters. President Donald Trump spoke about the midterms yesterday. The most important midterm, I believe, in our lifetime, the Democrat Party is nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history. Are you ready to help Democrats take back control of the United States House of Representatives? Well, if that happens, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries could become House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries. And if Democrats retake the Senate, well, Chuck Schumer could become Majority Leader. So we could have two New Yorkers in charge of the House and the Senate. Again, a lot has to happen in order for us to get there. First of all, though, more immediately, we're monitoring this issue here in Westchester County with a ballot scanner so far. It has not been resolved, the countywide issue, no word on what has caused it, but the message from the Board of Elections here is please fill out your paper ballots, come vote, nothing changes there, it's just these scanners are down for the time being. Rosanna, back to you. Yeah, we heard yesterday, Robert, that at the end of the day, Democrat and Republican Again, we'll both monitor how How those ballots will be scanned. So your vote will count. But it is crazy, Robert. I mean, at one point we were talking about the thickness of the paper was a problem with these scanners. Wouldn't they use the same thickness across New York? You would think, and perhaps that's part of the issue, perhaps it's not, but Roseanne, I was talking to a poll worker off camera, he couldn't go on camera, but he also wanted to emphasize how bipartisan this process is. He says that there's inside. There are two Democrats at each table, two Republicans at each table. Everything is done in a bipartisan manner. The ballots are dropped off at a central point later on. So all of this is done with Democrats and Republicans literally sitting at the table at the same time. So despite these hiccups this morning here in Westchester, your vote will be counted no matter who you're supporting here. That should make everybody feel more comfortable, Robert. Thank you so much for that update today.