LA Officials Issue Warning After Vote Center Vandalism and Ballot Burning

Los Angeles officials are warning against election interference after a series of incidents disrupted voting operations ahead of the June 2 primary election. On Sunday, May 31, vandalism was discovered at a vote center at Cesar E.

Chavez Park in Long Beach, though officials said voting operations were not disrupted. In a separate incident, a limited number of vote-by-mail ballots appeared to have sustained fire-related damage inside an official ballot drop box in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk confirmed the incident was isolated and involved only a small number of ballots. Officials have filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department and will contact affected voters directly to inform them of their options.

The office is reviewing both incidents. Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan stated, "Our responsibility is to protect voters and ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot.

Any attempt to interfere with voting or election operations is taken seriously." California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a law banning unauthorized access to voter rolls and making it a crime to knowingly take a package of voted ballots from election officials' custody. Tampering with or destroying an official ballot or ballot container can lead to fines, imprisonment, or both.

Key races in Los Angeles County include the mayoral race, open seats on the Board of Supervisors, and the gubernatorial race. Voters are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk at 800-815-2666, option 2.

Election Day is Tuesday, June 2. Voters can return mail-in ballots by mail, drop them at a drop box, or vote in person at a vote center.