Los Angeles County officials are investigating damaged vote-by-mail ballots found inside an official drop box in downtown Los Angeles, along with a separate vandalism incident at a Long Beach vote center.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Los Angeles County election officials are investigating after multiple vote-by-mail ballots were found with fire-related damage inside an official ballot drop box just days before the June 2 mayoral election.
The damaged ballots were discovered Sunday morning when election workers collected ballots from a drop box outside the county Department of Public Social Services building in the Civic Center area of downtown Los Angeles, according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
County officials said the incident is being reviewed with law enforcement and other partners to determine what happened and whether any voters were affected. Officials have not released the number of damaged ballots, identified a suspect or announced the cause of the fire-related damage.
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said his office is working to protect the voting process and contact any voters whose ballots may have been affected.
“Our responsibility is to protect voters and ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot,” Logan said in a statement.
The registrar’s office said voters whose ballots may have been damaged will be contacted directly and provided options, including replacement ballots if needed. A police report was filed with the Los Angeles Police Department, according to election officials.
Authorities are also reviewing a separate election-related vandalism incident at a vote center at Cesar E. Chavez Park in Long Beach. County officials said that incident did not interrupt voting operations at the site.
The incidents come as California continues to use vote-by-mail ballots and official drop boxes as major parts of its election system. Ballots for the June 2 primary were mailed to active registered voters, who may return them by mail, at official drop boxes, county elections offices, polling places or vote centers.
Election officials have said drop boxes are intended to provide voters with a secure and convenient way to return ballots. The discovery of fire-damaged ballots in Los Angeles has renewed attention on the security of public ballot collection sites during the final stretch before Election Day.
Los Angeles County previously dealt with a ballot drop box fire in 2020, when a box outside the Baldwin Park Library caught fire in a suspected arson incident. Firefighters cut open the box, and numerous ballots were damaged.
County officials said the current investigation remains active as election workers continue processing ballots and preparing for the June 2 election.