An election worker handles emergency ballots at a polling location in Pelham, New York, on November 3, 2026, following widespread voting machine malfunctions across Westchester County. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Democratic candidates hold leads in key Yonkers races as the party makes gains across New York and the country, while widespread voting machine failures delay final results in Westchester County.
Published: November 5, 2026 | 5:10 pm EST
Democrats emerged from Tuesday's general election with major victories across New York and the country, in what many viewed as a clear rebuke of President Donald Trump's policies and the Republican candidates aligned with his administration. In Yonkers, Democrat Frank Jereis holds a substantial lead in his race for State Assembly, while three Democratic candidates for the Westchester County Board of Legislators are also ahead as election officials continue processing ballots following widespread voting machine failures.
Early returns show Jereis, Kisha Skipper, Shanae Williams, and Wilson Terrero leading in races representing Yonkers residents. Their showing comes amid a broader Democratic wave across the state and country, with affordability, the economy, and federal policy among the issues shaping the national election.
But in Westchester County, the election was also overshadowed by a widespread breakdown of voting machines that left thousands of ballots unscanned, frustrated voters, and raised serious questions about election preparedness and oversight. The malfunction affected nearly every municipality in the county, delaying the reporting of complete election results and leaving several closely watched contests unresolved.
Jereis Leads Assembly Race as Yonkers Democrats Hold Leads in County Legislative Contests
In New York's 90th Assembly District, Democrat Frank Jereis holds a substantial lead over Republican John Isaac in the race to succeed longtime Assemblyman Nader Sayegh. Updated unofficial results show Jereis with 9,070 votes, approximately 66% of the reported total, compared with Isaac's 4,647 votes, or nearly 34%.
Jereis, 25, secured the Democratic nomination in June and campaigned to represent the Yonkers-based district in Albany. His apparent victory would mark a generational transition in Assembly District 90 following Sayegh's tenure in the State Assembly.
Three Democratic candidates also hold leads in races for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, although the contest in District 15 remains particularly closely watched.
In District 15, Democrat Kisha Skipper is leading Republican incumbent James Nolan. Updated unofficial figures reported Wednesday evening showed Skipper with 4,952 votes to Nolan's 3,953, a margin of 999 votes. However, the outcome remains uncertain as election officials continue processing thousands of ballots following Tuesday's widespread voting machine failures.
In a statement Thursday morning, Nolan said more than 12,000 votes had yet to be tallied and indicated that he would continue monitoring the counting process. Nolan has not conceded the race, and the outcome remains unresolved as election officials continue processing outstanding ballots. The contest carries broader implications for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, where Nolan is currently the sole Republican member. A Skipper victory could leave the county legislature entirely under Democratic control.
In District 16, incumbent Democrat Shanae Williams holds a commanding lead over Republican Dan D'Amico. The county's initial unofficial returns showed Williams receiving 3,089 votes, or approximately 78.2%, compared with D'Amico's 859 votes, or 21.7%. While the results remain unofficial, Williams's reported lead is substantial.
Meanwhile, in District 17, Democrat Wilson Terrero leads Working Families Party candidate Leslye Oquendo-Thomas. Updated unofficial returns have shown Terrero expanding his lead, with 2,177 votes to Oquendo-Thomas's 896.
Despite the candidates' leads, the results remain unofficial until outstanding ballots are processed and the county certifies the election.
A Democratic Wave Across New York and the Nation
The strong showing by Yonkers Democrats came amid a broader wave of Democratic victories in the 2026 midterm elections, with the party making significant gains in races across the country.
In New York, Democratic candidates posted strong results in statewide and congressional contests. Governor Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James, and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli held commanding leads in Westchester County, while Democrat Cait Conley emerged victorious in the closely watched 17th Congressional District race after Republican incumbent Mike Lawler conceded on election night.
Nationally, the results were widely interpreted as a rebuke of President Trump's policies and Republican candidates associated with his administration. Democrats capitalized on concerns over rising living costs, economic uncertainty, and the direction of federal policy, with the election reflecting broader dissatisfaction among voters.
For Yonkers, the leads held by all four Democratic candidates underscore the party's continued strength locally, while the broader results point to a changing political landscape beyond Westchester County.
Widespread Voting Machine Failures Disrupt Election Day Across Westchester
Despite the Democratic gains, Tuesday's election in Westchester County was marred by a major breakdown in voting equipment. Ballot scanners began malfunctioning shortly after polls opened at 6 a.m., leaving voters unable to scan their completed paper ballots. According to NBC News, the malfunction affected 44 of Westchester County's 45 municipalities, making it a countywide disruption rather than an isolated equipment failure.
In Yonkers, News 12 reported problems at polling locations including the Ukrainian Youth Center and Hudson Museum, with similar disruptions reported in White Plains, Montrose, and other communities. At affected polling sites, voters were instructed to place their completed ballots into designated orange emergency security bags rather than feeding them directly into scanning machines. While emergency ballot procedures are established under New York election rules, the unusual circumstances caused confusion and frustration among voters who expected to see their ballots scanned immediately.
News 12 reported that some Yonkers residents were not informed of the malfunction until after completing their ballots, while others expressed concerns about how their votes would be secured and counted. In Thornwood, one voter reportedly voided her ballot because she was uncomfortable with the emergency procedure and planned to return later to vote. The widespread problems attracted national attention, with major news organizations covering the breakdown and its potential implications for vote counting.
The Westchester County Board of Elections repeatedly urged residents to continue voting, assuring the public that every eligible ballot would be counted. Still, the scale of the malfunction raised serious questions about election preparedness, equipment reliability, and whether the disruption could have been prevented.
What Went Wrong With Westchester's Voting Machines?
Conflicting explanations from election officials added to the confusion surrounding Tuesday's malfunction. Early statements attributed the problem to the thickness of the ballot paper, suggesting the scanners were unable to accept completed ballots. That explanation was later contradicted by the New York State Board of Elections, which identified a programming error as the source of the failure.
According to state election officials, a change affecting a race in one Westchester municipality required an update to the county's election programming. While the updated programming was installed on machines in that municipality, voting machines elsewhere in the county retained the original configuration, leaving scanners throughout much of Westchester unable to recognize the ballots being used on Election Day. The Times Union and Associated Press reported on the programming failure, which forced election officials to implement emergency ballot collection procedures.
The incident has raised significant questions about the county's election preparation process, including pre-election equipment testing, coordination between state and county election officials, and how a programming change affecting one municipality could disrupt voting across nearly the entire county. Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins has indicated that he intends to order a full review of the incident.
Emergency Ballots Secured as Counting Continues
With thousands of ballots unable to be scanned at polling locations, election officials implemented emergency procedures to preserve and count votes cast during the malfunction. Completed ballots were collected in secure orange bags and transported under police supervision to the county's ballot-counting facility in Ardsley. The process was established under a court-approved agreement, with ballots to be counted under bipartisan supervision.
Election officials have emphasized that the malfunction affected the scanning and tabulation process, not voters' ability to complete paper ballots. However, the delayed counting means that published election-night results do not reflect all ballots cast Tuesday. The Westchester County Board of Elections has assured residents that all lawful ballots will be counted and that the emergency procedures are intended to protect the integrity of the election.
While the equipment failures created serious operational problems and raised concerns about voter confidence, officials have not established that ballots collected through the emergency process were lost or improperly counted.
When Will the Results Be Final?
The Westchester County Board of Elections began processing emergency ballots Wednesday, November 4, following Tuesday's widespread scanner failures. The county's published results remain unofficial and are subject to updates as additional ballots are counted and reconciled.
Under New York State election law, official results must be compiled and made available within the statutory certification period, generally no later than 25 days after the election.
For Yonkers, the early results point to a strong Democratic showing, with Jereis, Skipper, Williams, and Terrero all holding leads. The District 15 contest between Skipper and Nolan remains unresolved as election officials continue counting outstanding ballots.
Beyond the candidates and their apparent victories, the election has left Westchester residents with an important question: how could a voting equipment failure of this scale occur, and what steps will be taken to ensure it does not happen again?
Editor's Note: Election results and vote totals referenced in this article are unofficial and reflect information available at the time of publication on November 5, 2026. Results may change as the Westchester County Board of Elections continues counting outstanding ballots. The Yonkers Post will continue monitoring the ballot count, certification of local results, and findings from any review of the voting machine failures