Ballots Found in Humboldt County Special Election

The Humboldt County Office of Elections has revealed it discovered 596 uncounted ballots from the November 4, 2025, redistricting special election in California, as stated in a recent press release.

These sealed ballots were found in a locked drop box on Monday, and it was confirmed that they had not been tampered with. A miscommunication seemed to be the cause of uncertainty surrounding whether the box had been completely emptied.

The office is coordinating with the California Secretary of State to determine the next steps, indicating it will “explore every available option to get these votes counted.” However, both the office and the state clarified that counting these ballots will not alter the outcome of the November 4th election.

Juan Pablo Cervantes, the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, noted that an election worker had failed to follow the correct procedures but accepted responsibility for the mistake.

“This discovery highlights why strong systems, redundancy, and clear accountability must be in place at every step in the election process. In this case, those safeguards were not sufficient. That responsibility is mine and I am deeply sorry,” Cervantes stated.

Cervantes and the office mentioned that new procedures are being implemented to prevent a recurrence of this error.

According to state data, 47,540 individuals participated in the special election in Humboldt County, which means the uncounted ballots represent just over 1% of the total votes.

“We ask a lot of voters. We ask you to participate, to trust the process, and to believe that your vote will be counted. 596 voters did exactly what we asked of them, and we fell short,” Cervantes said.

“We will be pursuing all legal avenues to get your ballots counted,” he added.

The office also pointed out that, according to the state’s election regulations, all ballots from the special election must be destroyed six months after certification.

Proposition 50, which was passed by California voters in the same special election, pertains to mid-decade redistricting, allowing the state to redraw congressional district maps—anticipated to benefit Democrats with additional seats in the House. This measure aimed to respond to recent congressional map changes in Texas, where Republicans gained five seats ahead of the 2026 midterms, with California requiring a public vote for the proposition’s approval.