Report: Hundreds of Mail-In Ballots Seen in Hallway at Skid Row Shelter

Hundreds of mail-in ballots were reportedly left in a hallway at a Skid Row homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles, where 1,160 voters are registered, according to a report by the California Post.

The ballots were seen at The Midnight Mission, a shelter that provides meals and mail services. The Post said it authenticated a photo of the ballots and independently confirmed the scene during a visit to the shelter on Oct. 13.

The Midnight Mission told the outlet that its procedures call for ballots to be kept behind locked doors until they are handed to the people they are addressed to. "Our standard procedure is to secure election ballots behind locked doors until they are distributed to their intended recipients," said Georgia Hawley, the shelter's chief communications officer. She added that she had personally confirmed ballots were being stored securely when she visited the mail center.

Hawley also said the shelter handles large volumes of mail for its residents. Because mailroom space is limited, she explained, deliveries have to be received, sorted and distributed throughout the day.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told the Post that federal authorities are investigating election ballots on Skid Row. He declined to discuss The Midnight Mission specifically.

Scott Meyers, a Republican candidate and lawyer running in California's 30th Congressional District, criticized how election mail is being handled. He said both the postal system and organizations that receive and pass along ballots bear responsibility. "We're treating ballots like junk mail," Meyers said. He noted that ballots have also been left unattended in places such as apartment building lobbies, and he blamed the U.S. Postal Service for failing to keep them safe. "These are pieces of gold. This is our democracy," he said.

The report follows earlier findings by the Post. In June, the outlet found that 7,600 voter registrations were linked to Los Angeles homeless shelters and service providers, including drop-in centers that do not offer overnight stays. It identified 185 registered voters tied to St. Joseph Center in Venice, a drop-in facility with no beds.

Other ballot problems have surfaced in California this month. Duplicate mail-in ballots were sent to nearly 8,000 voters in Tulare County after a printing company mistakenly doubled them. Last week, Imperial County officials announced that 160 voters with confidential status had received duplicate ballots in a mailing error tied to changes in ballot processing procedures under California law.

Separately, the Justice Department has sued California to try to stop 20,000 ballots it describes as tied to "likely non-citizens" from being counted. The department said the federal government has given the state information that it believes should trigger additional steps before those ballots are included in the count.