Los Angeles County is investigating two separate incidents as possible election interference after ballots were damaged by fire inside an official ballot drop box and a vote center was vandalized, both reported Sunday morning ahead of Tuesday's election. The incidents have raised concerns about the security of the democratic process in one of the nation's largest counties.
The first incident involved a number of vote-by-mail ballots that appeared to be damaged by fire inside an official drop box at the Department of Public Social Services downtown, on the 800 block of Fourth Place. Election officials say the damage appears to have occurred between a scheduled ballot pickup and the next morning's collection, suggesting the fire was set overnight.
A separate incident of vandalism was reported Sunday morning at a vote center in Cesar Chavez Park in Long Beach. Officials did not specify exactly what the vandalism entailed but said election workers responded quickly and early voting operations continued without disruption at the affected location.
The drop box involved in the arson incident is back in use today, and the county registrar's office is reviewing both incidents while working to identify any voters whose ballots may have been impacted by the fire damage. Affected voters may need to be contacted to ensure their votes are counted.
While ballot box vandalism is uncommon, it is not unprecedented in California. Similar incidents have been reported in the state and others in recent election cycles, including a series of ballot box arson attacks in Oregon and Washington during the 2024 presidential election. Federal authorities investigated those cases, though no arrests have been publicly announced.
The timing of the incidents, just days before a contested election that includes the California governor's race, adds urgency to the investigation. Election security experts warn that even isolated acts of ballot destruction can undermine public confidence in the electoral process, regardless of whether they change the outcome of any race.
Law enforcement is working alongside election officials to determine whether the two incidents are connected and to identify those responsible. The county has urged voters who used the affected drop box to contact the registrar's office to verify the status of their ballots, while emphasizing that the vast majority of voting infrastructure remains secure and operational.