Los Angeles County election officials are reviewing possible election interference after vote-by-mail ballots inside a downtown drop box appeared to have suffered fire-related damage.

The discovery came just two days before the June 2 mayoral primary, where Spencer Pratt has turned what many expected to be a stunt campaign into a real race.

A separate vote center in Long Beach was also found vandalized over the weekend, according to local reports.

The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk was still reminding voters Monday that drop boxes and vote centers remained open:

The damaged ballots were reportedly discovered inside a drop box at the Department of Public Social Services-Civic Center on E. 4th Place in downtown Los Angeles.

ADVERTISEMENT

ABC7 reported that AIR7 video captured the ballot box near the Civic Center, and that officials were investigating possible election interference.

Officials said the damage appears to involve a small number of ballots because it happened between the most recent scheduled collection and the next morning’s retrieval.

CBS Los Angeles laid out both incidents and the county’s response:

In a news release, Los Angeles County officials said that early Sunday morning, vandalism was found at the voting center at Cesar E. Chavez Park, located in the 400 block of Golden Avenue in Long Beach.

Officials said that election workers quickly responded and that voting operations were not disrupted.

In addition, Los Angeles County staff said a “limited number of Vote by Mail ballots” appeared to have sustained fire-related damage inside a ballot drop box at the Department of Public Social Services-Civic Center, located at E. 4th Place in Los Angeles.

“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 news release said.

The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan said the department is reviewing both incidents and working to identify voters who may have been affected.

Officials said the voters will be directly contacted and given information on other voting options, including replacement ballots.

ADVERTISEMENT

They said reports have been filed with the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Our responsibility is to protect voters and ensure every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast a ballot,” Logan said 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.”

That replacement-ballot detail matters for voters whose ballots may have been affected, but it does not make the incident any less serious.

Election officials are now reviewing damage to voting materials and vandalism at a vote center right before voters choose who will lead Los Angeles.

The timing is also why Spencer Pratt’s campaign keeps looming over the story.

ABC7 reported Friday that a new poll showed Mayor Karen Bass, former L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman and Pratt locked in a tight race ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

Pratt has also turned online energy into real campaign fuel, with local reports noting he had raised more than $1.4 million by late May.

Local outlets tied the burned ballots and the vandalized vote center directly to the eve of Election Day:

ADVERTISEMENT

No suspect has been identified, and officials have not said the ballot damage altered any result.

Still, when ballots are found with fire damage and a vote center is vandalized days before a close election, voters deserve a fast and public answer.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.