Los Angeles County reports burned ballots in Ballot Drop Box
Los Angeles County officials said staff found burned ballots in an official ballot drop box outside the Civic Center in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday morning. The ballots were part of a limited number of Vote by Mail ballots that appeared to have fire-related damage, and county staff said the incident was reported to police the same day.
Dean C. Logan, the Los Angeles County registrar and county clerk, said the damaged ballots appeared to have sustained fire-related damage inside an Official Ballot Drop Box. He said, "Preliminary information indicates the incident was isolated and involved a small number of ballots, as it occurred between the most recent scheduled collection and the following morning's retrieval."
Long Beach voting center
County officials also said vandalism was discovered Sunday morning at a voting center in Cesar R. Chavez Park in Long Beach. Election workers and officials responded immediately, and voting operations were not disrupted at the site. Both incidents were reported to the Los Angeles Police Department, and no arrests have been announced.
County response
Logan said the department is working to identify voters who may have been affected by the two incidents. He added, "Our responsibility is to protect voters and ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot," and, "Any attempt to interfere with voting or election operations is taken seriously."
Hilda Solis, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said, "Voting is a fundamental right, and Los Angeles County remains committed to ensuring every eligible voter can cast a ballot safely and confidently." She also said, "Any attempt to vandalize election facilities, damage voting materials, or interfere with the voting process is unacceptable."
Tuesday primary
The incidents came one day before Tuesday's California primary, which includes races for governor, secretary of state, controller, state attorney general and treasurer, along with Proposition 50 and elections for Los Angeles mayor and Los Angeles County Sheriff. For voters who used the downtown drop box, the county's review now centers on whether their ballots were among the small number affected.
