Local and federal authorities have launched an investigation after a Los Angeles woman said she stumbled upon more than 100 mail-in ballots that were discarded on an East Hollywood sidewalk. According to Fox News, the woman discovered the ballots while she was walking her dog.
Christina Repaci told Fox 11 that she was walking her dog when she noticed a U.S. Postal Service box that was filled with envelopes. She soon realized that they were mail-in ballots, at which point she pulled out her phone and started recording.
Repaci ultimately counted 104 mail-in ballots after the box them home and sorting through it. She soon contacted a number of law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office, in order to have someone investigate.
The Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office eventually organized a pick-up of the ballots. Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan soon arrived in order to personally retrieve the ballots from Repaci, Fox 11 reported.
“He (Logan) picked them up. I made sure he was legit. He gave me a card, and took a photo of the box,” the woman told the outlet. Repaci described the entire ordeal as “stressful.”
The Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office said “early signs” lead them to suspect mail theft. “We have reissued new ballots to the impacted voters. Early signs indicate that this was an incident of mail theft and not a directed attempt at disrupting the election,” the statement read. “We are cooperating with the United States Postal Service and law enforcement to investigate.”
The discovery comes just weeks ahead of California’s June 7 primary. Voters will decide candidates for U.S. Senate, state senator, attorney general, U.S. representative in Congress and other local races. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti is up for re-election.