Overview
- The Notre Dame de Namur University vote center, which closed at 5 p.m. on Sunday, was discovered unlocked and unattended by voter Madelyn Webster about an hour later.
- San Mateo County elections staff say they follow a 5 p.m. routine to remove ballots and secure machines and that a supervisory review confirmed no ballots, equipment, or materials were compromised.
- Webster searched the building for about 10 minutes, recorded video of the empty site, emailed election officials, and later deposited her ballot at the Belmont police station.
- Supervisor David Canepa requested clarity on who must secure host facilities after hours and whether this case is isolated or part of a pattern given recent California vote-center vandalism and discarded mail-ballot reports.
- County officials point to host-site responsibility for locking buildings after staff leave, and the episode is likely to prompt more scrutiny of site coordination, staffing and public guidance on drop-off options.