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15h ago

Burned Mail Ballots Found in Downtown L.A. Drop Box; Long Beach Vote Center Vandalized

Police investigations have been opened after county officials discovered a small number of fire-damaged mail ballots in a downtown drop box, with separate vandalism reported at a Long Beach vote center.

Red, white and blue sign with an arrow indicating where to go to cast or leave a ballot.
Voting signs point toward the Ventura County Elections Division in Ventura in May. The last day to vote or return a ballot is June 2.
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A man rides by a sign at a polling location at the Cal State Long Beach Walter Pyramid on Monday, June 1, 2026 in Long Beach, CA. The state’s primary election will be held Tuesday June 2. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Election workers discovered the fire-damaged ballots during a routine collection on Sunday, and officials said the damage appears limited and occurred between scheduled pickups.
  • Los Angeles County’s Registrar-Recorder filed reports with the LAPD and launched investigations into both the drop-box incident and the Cesar E. Chavez Park vote-center vandalism.
  • County leaders said no arrests have been announced and that voters whose ballots may have been affected will be contacted directly and offered replacement options.
  • Officials emphasized that voting operations were not disrupted and that all 646 Los Angeles County vote centers remained open to ensure voters could cast ballots in person.
  • The incidents prompted renewed warnings that tampering with ballots is a crime and highlighted how secure collection practices—bolted drop boxes and two-worker pickups—are used to protect mail-in voting.