A recent investigation by the California Post revealed that numerous ballots were discovered stacked in an open hallway at a Skid Row homeless shelter, The Midnight Mission, which has over 1,100 registered voters.
The ballots were found in downtown LA at this shelter, which provides meals and mail services. Specifically, there are about 1,160 voters registered at The Midnight Mission.
The Post confirmed the presence of these ballots during a visit on October 13 and authenticated a photo depicting the scene.
This revelation comes after a previous report by the California Post that uncovered around 7,600 voter registrations linked to various homeless shelters and service organizations throughout Los Angeles, including some facilities that don’t even provide beds.
The Midnight Mission stated that ballots should be securely stored until they are ready for distribution. Georgia Hawley, the organization’s chief communications officer, emphasized that their protocol is to keep the ballots locked up until they reach their intended recipients.
Hawley added that she personally checked that ballots were stored securely during her visit to the mail center. The shelter, located at 601 South San Pedro Street, processes large volumes of mail for homeless residents, and due to limited space, deliveries are sorted and distributed throughout the day.
The Post reached out to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli to inquire about potential federal investigations involving election ballots on Skid Row. While he confirmed that an investigation is underway, he refrained from commenting on The Midnight Mission specifically.
Scott Meyers, a Republican congressional candidate for California’s 30th Congressional District, criticized the management of election mail, pointing fingers at both the postal service and the organizations in charge of collecting and distributing ballots.
Meyers expressed frustration, stating, “We’re treating ballots like junk mail,” and argued that the issue extends beyond homeless shelters. He pointed out instances of ballots left unattended in apartment lobbies and placed responsibility on the U.S. Postal Service for inadequate ballot security, declaring, “These are pieces of gold. This is our democracy.”
Nico Ruderman, a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council and a former candidate for office, described the finding as disappointing yet not surprising. He highlighted concerns about public trust in elections, noting, “If people don’t trust their elections, they’re not going to vote.”
Ruderman advocates for substantial changes to California’s election laws, stressing the need for public confidence in the electoral process, regardless of whether any wrongdoing had occurred. “We need massive election reform, even if there is nothing nefarious going on,” he emphasized, asserting that reforms would help eliminate doubts.
This latest revelation follows the California Post’s June report detailing thousands of voter registrations linked to homeless shelters and service organizations in Los Angeles, including drop-in centers that offer services without overnight lodging.
For instance, at the St. Joseph Center in Venice, the Post identified 185 registered voters associated with a facility that lacks beds.
Local resident Susan Collins accused political activists of exploiting homeless voters, specifically citing concerns about ballot collection practices in California.
“For over a decade I’ve been saying, ballot harvesting has been abused, in particular by the DSA,” she claimed, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America.
California law permits voters to authorize another individual to return their completed mail ballots, as long as state election regulations are followed.
Election law attorney Garrett Fahy remarked previously that the option for homeless residents to register at shelters and other unconventional addresses is part of California’s commitment to safeguarding voting access. “The system is not set up to prevent people from voting. It’s to ensure anyone who can register votes,” he explained.
