LA Officials Warn After Ballot Drop Box Fire and Vote Center Vandalism

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

Chavez Park in Long Beach. While the extent of the damage was not immediately clear, officials confirmed that 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 registrar-recorder/county clerk's office described the incident as isolated, involving 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.

California law protects voters and election officials; recently, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill 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.

"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. "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 in Los Angeles County include the mayoral race, open seats on the Board of Supervisors, and the gubernatorial race. Voters can report suspicious activity to the registrar-recorder/county clerk at 800-815-2666, option 2.

The last day to vote is Tuesday, June 2. Voting options include returning vote-by-mail ballots by mail, dropping them at a drop box, or voting in person at a vote center.