Voter fraud is rare? Ballots stolen from post office

Politicians like to say that voter fraud is very rare.

However, an unknown number of San Mateo County vote-by-mail ballots have been stolen from a Daly City post office, the county’s Registration & Elections Division said.

The Elections Division said it was notified Wednesday (Oct. 14) of the mail theft that included mail-in ballots.

The county is working with USPS to investigate.

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa — who has been elected Chief Elections Officer but doesn’t take that office until January — is calling for better security to protect ballots going through the mail.

“People need to have confidence that their vote-by-mail ballot will reach its intended destination, especially when it comes to something as fundamental as their right to vote,” Canepa said. “We need a complete investigation, stronger protections for the mail, and straightforward communication with the public. With the midterm elections approaching, we cannot afford to leave residents wondering whether their ballots or other important mail are safe. This is simply unacceptable.”

Voters who are concerned that their ballots may have been affected by the theft may request a replacement ballot online at https://smcacre.gov/elections/ request-replacement-ballot or in person at any vote center in the county.

Online requests for a replacement ballot must be submitted by Oct. 27 to allow sufficient time for mailing.

Voters are encouraged to look up the status of their mail-in ballots through California’s free ballot tracking service, “Where’s My Ballot,” at WheresMy-Ballot.sos.ca.gov. The platform notifies voters when their ballot is mailed, received, and processed by the county elections division.