A daytime mail robbery in Sacramento has raised election concerns after officials said ballots could have been among the items taken, with Election Day drawing near.
The theft happened at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the College Glen neighborhood. Surveillance video reportedly shows a man arriving in a gray SUV, opening the back of a USPS truck and grabbing multiple trays of mail before leaving.
Authorities said a nearby resident witnessed the incident as it unfolded.
Investigators are now working to establish whether any election ballots were included in the stolen mail.
US Postal Inspector Jonathan Lanning confirmed that ballots could have been affected.
“Mail was stolen, and there may have been ballots affected by the theft,” Lanning told KCRA.
The robbery occurred shortly after Sacramento County began mailing ballots ahead of Election Day, prompting concerns that some voters may not receive their materials in time.
Sacramento resident Mary Brown told KCRA that a USPS delivery containing ballots for her great-grandchildren never arrived as expected.
“I looked at my informed mail, and it was supposed to have my great-grandchildren’s ballot,” Brown said. “It was mailed. It should’ve been in my mailbox that day.”
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Brown said she discovered the mail theft through a neighborhood app and was left wondering whether the ballots had been taken with the rest of the mail.
The possibility that the ballots were stolen caused her to fear that her great-grandchildren might lose their opportunity to vote.
“I was panicked because they weren’t going to be able to vote,” Brown said.
Election officials, however, say voters have a way to address missing ballots.
Ken Casparis of the Sacramento County elections office told KCRA that voters who do not receive their ballots can contact the office and ask for replacements.
“You can contact our office to request a replacement ballot,” Casparis said. “You can do that either by phone or email. And we’ll go ahead and reissue your ballot for you.”
Casparis said the county will count only the first ballot returned with the voter’s valid signature.
As the investigation continues, postal inspectors are advising voters to monitor ballot deliveries through the California Secretary of State’s website and watch for any missing election mail.
The US Postal Inspection Service is offering up to $100,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact postal inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.