LA Officials Warn of Election Interference After Vote Center Vandalism and Ballot Burning

Los Angeles officials are warning against election interference after a vote center in Long Beach was vandalized and 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 incidents occurred as residents in Los Angeles County and across California vote in the June 2 primary election.

According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, vandalism was discovered at a vote center at Cesar E. Chavez Park in Long Beach on the morning of Sunday, May 31.

The extent of the damage was not immediately clear, but officials stated that voting operations were not disrupted.

In a separate incident, officials found that a small number of vote-by-mail ballots inside an official drop box in Los Angeles appeared to have fire-related damage. The incident was isolated and involved only a limited number of ballots.

The registrar-recorder/county clerk's office filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department and said voters whose ballots may have been impacted will be contacted directly with information about their options.

Both incidents are under review. Various state and federal laws protect voters and election officials.

Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill that bans providing law enforcement access to voter rolls without a court order or investigation and makes it a crime to knowingly take a package of voted ballots from elections officials' custody. Tampering with or destroying an official ballot or ballot container can lead to fines, imprisonment, or both, 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 in Los Angeles County include the mayoral race and open seats on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. County residents and Californians statewide will also vote in the gubernatorial race.

Suspicious activity involving elections materials, facilities, or operations can be reported to the Los Angeles 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 can return their vote-by-mail ballot by mail, drop it off at a drop box location, or vote in person at a vote center.