California county discovers trove of unopened ballots from last election in a locked box

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The Humboldt County Office of Elections made an unnerving discovery Monday: a stack of 596 sealed ballots from the most recent election left at the bottom of a locked voting drop box.

The uncounted ballots would not have affected the outcome of the November statewide special election for Proposition 50, the county office said in a news release Wednesday. However, officials said they're working hard to have all the votes legally counted.

The office discovered that the ballots were uncounted because of a staff error. When workers checked the drop box, there was a miscommunication about whether it had been fully emptied, the office said.

"That outcome is unacceptable and runs counter to the core of what this office stands for," Juan Pablo Cervantes, county clerk-recorder and registrar of voters, said in a statement. "While the mistake occurred after an election worker did not follow proper procedures, the responsibility for what happened ultimately sits with me."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/california-county-discovers-trove-unopened-020019017.html

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1. WHOOPS: Humboldt County Elections Office Discovers 596 Ballots From the Last Election That Were Not Counted

Here is only local, Humboldt County, reporting can find.

WHOOPS: Humboldt County Elections Office Discovers 596 Ballots From the Last Election That Were Not Counted

LoCO Staff / Wednesday, May 6, 2026 12:42 p.m

Press release from the Humboldt County Office of Elections:

On Monday, May 4, Humboldt County Office of Elections staff discovered 596 uncounted sealed ballots from the November 4, 2025 Statewide Special Election inside a locked ballot drop box. Under Section 2.5 of Article II of the California Constitution, these ballots should have been counted before the election was certified on Dec. 5, 2025.

Immediately after the discovery, elections staff worked to ensure proper protocol was followed. It was confirmed the uncounted ballots had not been tampered with because the drop box was locked and the ballots were sealed. The Humboldt County Office of Elections then worked in partnership with the California Secretary of State to determine next steps.

The Office of Elections and the state have both confirmed that counting these ballots will not change the result of the November 4, 2025 Statewide Special Election. However, it is important that Humboldt County Office of Elections explore every available option to get these votes counted.

Under Elections Code §17302, ballots from the November 4, 2025 Statewide Special Election must be destroyed six months after the election was certified. However, the County of Humboldt will be pursuing all legal avenues to get the ballots counted.

more county press releases at: https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2026/may/6/whoops-humboldt-county-elections-office-discovers/