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Were These Fresno Ballots at Risk after Election Worker Lost Key to Drop Box?
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 5 months ago on
October 25, 2024

Fresno County said election workers left a key behind when collecting ballots at a drop box. (GV Wire Composite)

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Fresno County election workers left behind a key when they collected ballots from a drop box, a county spokesperson said.

A member of the public found the key, left near the box at Fancher Creek Elementary School at 5948 E. Tulare Ave. in southeast Fresno at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Election workers had picked up ballots at 10 a.m. that morning.

“Upon learning about this issue, the (election) Department immediately sent staff to secure the Ballot Drop Box and the materials inside. The Ballot Drop Box was removed from service and all materials within the Ballot Drop Box were safely returned to the Elections Department Warehouse for processing,” spokesperson Sonja Dosti said in an email.

The box will be out of service until a new lock can be installed. The nearest box is at Sunnyside Library at the corner of East Kings Canyon and South Clovis avenues.

The county said this is the first time — after 10,000 collections — that a drop box was unsecured. Dosti said the lost key was caused by “human error.”

The county has 67 drop boxes (map here), with a team of two collecting every day and bringing the ballots back to the election warehouse.

“The team that made the error … has been relieved of their Ballot Drop Box servicing duties,” Dosti said. 

Clerk/Registrar of Voters James Kus said “it was very surprising” for veteran workers to make such a mistake. They will be reassigned.

Kus said they are not aware of any ballots missing. The county said any voters concerned about ballots dropped in the box should call the Clerk/Registrar of Voters office at (844) 977-8683.

Drop Box Protocol

Earlier this month, Kus provided GV Wire a tour of the elections warehouse and discussed how drop boxes are secured, and how ballots are collected and returned to the warehouse.

Teams of two make daily runs to all the drop boxes to collect ballots, usually in the morning. The teams place the ballots in what looks like a medium-sized black suitcase, specifically numbered to match the drop box. The case is sealed over the zipper with an identifying tag. Information includes who is picking up the ballots, which box the ballots came from, and how many ballots are collected.

When crews return to the warehouse with physical ballots, the cases are placed inside an enclosed cage area to be opened. Staff double-check the location of the drop box where the ballots came from, and how many are arriving.

“Because of this incident, the Department is requiring all staff members working with Ballot Drop Boxes to receive additional training on servicing Ballot Drop Boxes,” Dosti said.

Starting Friday, election staff will take photos to ensure the drop boxes are locked and keys accounted for. The county is also considering “alternate locking mechanisms … to prevent this type of incident from occurring in the future.”

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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