GOP’s unauthorized ballot boxes in Fresno County prompt investigation by DA’s office
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said it will investigate the placement of unauthorized ballot boxes and will prosecute those who are found to have committed criminal violations of the elections code.
The DA office’s announcement Tuesday came a day after the Fresno County Republican Party said it was removing unauthorized ballot drop boxes, having previously promoted the locations as a reliable way to make sure votes were counted.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said operating unofficial ballot drop boxes is a violation of state law.
Locations for voters to drop off ballots are designated by city or county election officials, not political parties.
“Elections Code § 18575 proscribes a criminal penalty to anyone who, at any election, acts as an election officer without first having been appointed and qualified or performs or discharges any of the duties of an election officer in regard to the handling, counting, or canvassing of any ballots,” the Fresno County DA’s office wrote in a news release.
There are more than 20 official locations in Fresno, including grocery stores, pharmacies, schools and parks.
The California Secretary of State’s Office issued guidance to all county elections officials on Sunday after reports surfaced of unauthorized ballot drop boxes in Fresno, Los Angeles and Orange counties.
A cease-and-desist letter was addressed to the California Republic Party, as well as to each county’s GOP chairperson.
The letter requires the parties to stop in the coordination and use of and the false or misleading promotion of unauthorized and nonofficial vote-by-mail drop boxes.
In addition, the letter requires the parties to surrender all ballots retrieved from those unauthorized vote-by-mail boxes to the appropriate county elections official. And the parties are required to contact the secretary of state by close of business on Thursday to provide officials with names, addresses and birth dates of voters who have dropped off ballots in the unauthorized spots.
The county clerk/registrar of voters will contact the affected voters to advise them of their options and to verify the return status of their vote-by-mail ballot.
The Fresno County DA’s Office announced its investigation after its public integrity unit received complaints. The unauthorized drop boxes were in various locations, including gun shops, a gas station and the Fresno GOP headquarters.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 6:55 PM.