GOP commissioner quashes rumors he went MIA amid voting chaos: 'No conspiracy theory here'

A New York official overseeing Election Day chaos in a crucial congressional district denied rumors he'd skipped work on Tuesday in a telephone conversation with Raw Story.

Republican Commissioner Doug Colety denied reports he was missing in action as his county experienced a ballot-scanning crisis in Westchester, where Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) is fighting a neck-and-neck battle against challenger Cait Conley.

"I’ve been here since seven in the morning," Colety told Raw Story. "I’ll be here until five in the morning."

This comment was a reaction to a reaction by City & State, a New York news outlet that reported on X that Colety hadn't shown up for work.

"Westchester source tells me that a complicating factor in trying to solve the voting machine issue is the fact the local GOP elections commissioner, Douglas Colety, was a no-show for Election Day (no time off requested)," wrote reporter Rebecca C. Lewis. "His deputies have been running things."

Colety shrugged off the rumors, telling Raw Story he had been touring the district with county police.

A representative who confirmed Colety's presence added, "Right now we’re focused on addressing the issues and counting the ballots."

Lawler himself spoke up in Cotely's defense on X.

"Doug Colety called me and my campaign manager at 6:02 this morning to alert us of the issue," Lawler wrote. "I’ve spoken with him multiple times today, he’s been in court and on conference calls all morning related to this issue."

Lewis's tweet is hardly the biggest problem facing the Westchester County Board of Elections.

Ballot scanners went down across Westchester Tuesday morning because of an update to the county's election programming, according to a New York Board of Elections press release.

Meanwhile, far-right pundits began sounding the alarm.

Katie Miller, wife of White House official Stephen Miller, jumped on this comment with a post of her own, claiming, "This is how the Left steals elections."

Far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer also claimed Democrats were trying to "steal the election."

Colety took a calmer tone, assuring Raw Story voters' paper ballots were already being placed in orange bags that would go to the board to be counted Wednesday morning under police supervision.

But this scanner snafu could impact who controls the House of Representatives in 2027, as Westchester County is the most Democratic part of New York's District 17, reports show.

The county covers about 30 percent of Lawler's district.

Cook Political Report lists this district among 18 "toss-up" races that could go either Republican or Democrat in the race to 218 seats and majority control.

"GOP Rep. Mike Lawler represents a seat that narrowly voted for Harris in 2024," their analysis states. "But, his history of overperforming [President Donald] Trump and his support from Jewish voters could help him survive a tough national political environment."