Ballot Scanner Faults Spark Rapid Online Rumours on Final Day of US Voting

Early reports of ballot scanner malfunctions in Westchester County, New York, highlighted the challenges election officials face in today's online information environment as voters headed to the polls on the final day of voting. According to the source, equipment failures happen in a small number of precincts every election cycle, and there is no evidence of foul play. Even so, conspiracy theorists quickly jumped on the news.

Kate Starbird, a University of Washington professor who researches online election rumours, said the claims were spreading in right-wing online circles as supposed evidence of election malfeasance. She cited metrics showing posts on X about the malfunctions grew to as many as 100 a minute, with known election deniers such as The Gateway Pundit amplifying conspiracy framings. The Westchester County Board of Elections said the problems appeared to be caused by some ballots being too thick for the machines, leading to rejections. Affected voters were told to place ballots in designated orange emergency bags, which will be secured, monitored and counted under election law. New York Attorney General Letitia James said her office was monitoring the situation and that votes will count.

Separately, the US Department of Justice announced charges against 63 people for allegedly voting as noncitizens in a past election. Many are lawful permanent residents who have lived in the country for decades, and some later became naturalised citizens.