Fire damage was identified on a number of mail-in ballots from a drop box in Los Angeles, according to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk (RR/CC).
In a Sunday press release, the RR/CC said “staff identified a limited number of Vote by Mail ballots that appeared to have sustained fire-related damage inside an Official Ballot Drop Box at the Department of Public Social Services-Civic Center.”
“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,” the release stated.
It added that staff had filed a report with local police and would fully cooperate as the investigation continued.
The office also related a separate incident on Sunday morning when vandalism was discovered at the Cesar E. Chavez Park voting center in L.A. County, though it claimed that voting operations were not disrupted.
“Voting is a fundamental right, and Los Angeles County remains committed to ensuring every eligible voter can cast a ballot safely and confidently,” said L.A. County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, per the release.
“Any attempt to vandalize election facilities, damage voting materials, or interfere with the voting process is unacceptable. We take these incidents seriously and will continue working with election officials and law enforcement partners to protect voters and uphold the integrity of our elections,” she continued.
The RR/CC also said it was working to identify the voters potentially affected by the incidents.
“Voters whose ballots may have been impacted by the Drop Box incident will be contacted directly and provided information about available options, including replacement ballots if necessary,” the office stated.
Sunday’s announcement comes just ahead of California’s June 2nd primary elections, which include the highly contested gubernatorial primary race.
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