LA officials issue warning after vote center vandalism, burned ballots

Los Ángeles officials are warning against election interference after some ballots appeared damaged by a fire at one location, and a vote center in Long Beach was vandalized. The incidents come as residents in Los Ángeles County and Californians statewide vote in numerous local and state races as part of the June 2 primary election.

“Vandalism was discovered” at a vote center at Cesar E. Chavez Park in Long Beach on the morning of Sunday, May 31, according to the Los Ángeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

Although the extent of damage was not made immediately clear in the office’s announcement on Sunday, voting operations “were not disrupted.”

In a separate incident, officials found that a “limited number” of vote-by-mail ballots “appeared to have sustained fire-related damage” inside an official ballot drop box in Los Ángeles, the registrar-recorder/county clerk’s office said. The incident was isolated and only involved a small number of ballots, according to the office.

Officials said they filed a report with the Los Ángeles Police Department, and voters whose ballots may have been impacted will be contacted directly and provided more information about their options. The registrar-recorder/county clerk’s office said they are reviewing both incidents.

Various state and federal laws protect voters and their right to cast a ballot and protect elections officials in their duties. Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a bill that bans people from providing law enforcement access to voter rolls unless there is a court order or investigation, as well as making it a crime for someone to knowingly take a package of voted ballots from elections officials’ custody, according to the governor’s office.

Among the voting-related violations that can lead to fines, imprisonment or both, include tampering or destroying an official ballot or ballot container, according to the California Secretary of State’s website.

“Our responsibility is to protect voters and ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot,” said Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan in a statement. “Any attempt to interfere with voting or election operations is taken seriously.

We will continue working closely with law enforcement and other partners to safeguard the voting process and ensure voters can participate with confidence.”

Key races playing out in Los Ángeles County include the Los Ángeles mayoral race and open seats on the Los Ángeles County Board of Supervisors. County residents and Californians across the state will also cast their vote in the gubernatorial race.

Residents can report any suspicious activity involving elections materials, election facilities or voting operations to the Los Ángeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk at 800-815-2666, option 2. The last day to vote in the primary election is Tuesday, June 2.

Voters in Los Ángeles County have several options: return their vote-by-mail ballot by mail, drop it off at a drop box location, or vote in person at a vote center.