GOP Put up Unofficial Ballot Boxes in CA

Misbar’s investigation found that the latest instance of election issues came recently in the form of unofficial ballot boxes in California. These boxes, which were initially labeled as official, have been set up by Californian Republicans in several major counties (Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, and Fresno). 

Upon the discovery, many state officials and citizens alike were outraged by the implementation of these ballot boxes. Unlike official boxes, these are not subject to state-mandated regulation and surveillance. Official ballot boxes are supplied by each state, with security measures and other specifications varying between different states.

On October 12, 2020, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla sent a cease & desist letter to the California Republican Party.

Despite being harshly criticized for possibly inciting voter fraud, the California Republican Party has refused to comply with the cease & desist order, citing loose vote harvesting laws as a justification for putting up and maintaining the boxes. 

Although legal action has been threatened by both sides of this altercation, it is doubtful that such a case could be decided in the few weeks between the time of writing and the Presidential election.

While the legality of harvesting ballots in California is arguable, it is illegal to designate a ballot box as “official” when it is not. California Republican spokesperson Hector Barajas pulled back on this front by stating that their ballot boxes will no longer be labeled as such.

With such a short time before the election, it is unclear yet how the votes deposited at these unofficial ballot boxes will be handled by state officials.