A dozen discarded ballots were found in a mountain canyon in Santa Cruz County. (Bay Area newsgroup archive)
The U.S. Postal Service and the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters have launched an investigation to determine how more than a dozen ballots for Santa Clara County fell into the canyons of the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to the Registrar’s Communications. Officer in charge Michael Borja said.
The ballot was found in another pile of mail that had been dumped in the woods near Sugarloaf Road, near Highway 17, Borja said. The ballot appears to have been removed from the mail, not from the county designated ballot drop box.
The postal authority did not respond Saturday to a request for information about the dumped mail.
NBC Bay Area first reported find friday polls.
Janet and Lou Witkin of San Jose say they were informed their ballots were among a dozen discarded ballots. The couple dropped off their ballots last Sunday at the Post Office on Her Avenue in Payne, West San Jose.
“We were very surprised,” said Janet Witkin.
The Registrar is currently reviewing election laws to determine whether discarded ballots can be legally counted. Janet Witkin said she spent so much time filling out ballots that she would be very disappointed if her vote was not included in the official results. Her husband even collected political mail to get updates on this year’s candidates and ballot measures, she said.
“We are putting our time and energy into this,” she said. “We vote every time and take this very seriously.”
Borja said an investigation into the discarded ballots is in its early stages.
“…[We are] I am very worried about this unfortunate incident,” Borja said. “…[Our office] It has extensive safeguards and a series of control procedures to ensure ballots are collected and transported safely and securely. ”
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