Humboldt County Office of Elections

Nearly 600 unopened ballots were discovered in Humboldt County, California, months after a statewide Democratic redistricting measure passed, but they did not impact the outcome of the election. The error was due to a miscommunication over whether a drop box had been fully emptied before certification. The county has taken corrective action to ensure all ballots get counted.

Nearly 600 unopened ballots were found in Humboldt County, California, months after a statewide special election on Proposition 50, a redistricting measure backed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The error did not impact the outcome of the election, but officials have taken corrective action to prevent similar mistakes. The discovery has prompted an update to protocols for ballot drop boxes.

The Humboldt County Office of Elections discovered 596 sealed ballots from the last election in a locked voting drop box. The ballots were found at the bottom of the box. This discovery was made on Monday.