Routine voting issues fuel conspiracy theories and confusion

SLEEPY HOLLOW, N.Y. — Westchester County ballot tabulators malfunctioned across the county Tuesday, alarming voters and fueling a flurry of conspiracy theories online.

The issue was discovered early in the morning, after ballot tabulators failed to scan voters’ hand-marked paper ballots in 44 out of 45 of the county’s municipalities. State election officials said in a post on X that the issue was due to a programming error.

Election officials directed voters to put their ballots in secure orange ballot bags, following standard contingency plans.

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The news has raised alarm among voters and onlookers. In text chains and Facebook posts viewed by NBC News, Westchester voters discussed the issue, with some expressing concern over whether their votes would be counted.

Tensions are high in part because Westchester is home to a key House race in the battle for control of Congress: In the 17th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler faces Democrat Cait Conley in a close race. The district narrowly leans blue, but Lawler has held it for four years by maintaining high popularity and campaigning aggressively on crime and affordability issues. Conley, a veteran and former Biden cybersecurity official, hopes to…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business