Hundreds of ballots left exposed at Skid Row homeless center ahead of LA election

Hundreds of ballots were found piled in an open hallway at a Skid Row homeless shelter where more than 1,100 voters are registered, a California Post investigation found.

The ballots were spotted at The Midnight Mission, a downtown LA homeless shelter offering meals and mail services, where 1,160 voters are registered .

The Post authenticated a photo of the ballots and independently confirmed the scene during a visit to the shelter on October 13.

The discovery comes four months after the California Post exposed 7,600 voter registrations linked to homeless shelters and service providers across Los Angeles, including facilities that don't offer a single bed.

The Midnight Mission told The Post election ballots are supposed to be kept under lock and key until they reach their intended recipients.

"Our standard procedure is to secure election ballots behind locked doors until they are distributed to their intended recipients," Georgia Hawley, the organization's chief communications officer, told The Post.

"I personally confirmed that ballots were being stored securely when I visited our mail center."

The organization, located at 601 South San Pedro Street, handles large volumes of mail for homeless residents. Hawley explained that limited mailroom space requires deliveries to be received, sorted and distributed throughout the day.

The Post also contacted U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli to determine whether federal authorities were investigating election ballots on Skid Row .

Essayli confirmed an investigation but declined to discuss The Midnight Mission specifically.

Republican congressional candidate Scott Meyers, an attorney running in California's 30th Congressional District, blasted the handling of election mail, pointing to both the postal system and organizations responsible for receiving and distributing ballots.

"We're treating ballots like junk mail," Meyers said.

Meyers also told The Post the problem extends far beyond homeless shelters , pointing to photographs of ballots left unattended in apartment building lobbies and put the blame on the U.S. Postal Service for failing to keep ballots safe.

"These are pieces of gold. This is our democracy," he said.

Nico Ruderman, a Venice Neighborhood Council member and former candidate for public office who has repeatedly visited the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office to observe election procedures, called the discovery disappointing but unsurprising.

"Even if there is no fraud, there is a perception," Ruderman told The Post.  

"If people don't trust their elections, they're not going to vote," he said.

Ruderman is calling for a ballot initiative to overhaul California's election laws, telling The Post that public confidence matters even when wrongdoing has not been established.

"We need massive election reform, even if there is nothing nefarious going on," he said. "Election reform eliminates doubts."

The latest discovery follows The Post's June investigation into thousands of voter registrations tied to homeless shelters and service providers across Los Angeles, including drop-in centers that offer services but no overnight accommodations.

At St. Joseph Center in Venice, The Post identified 185 registered voters tied to a drop-in facility with no beds.

Local resident Susan Collins also accused political activists of exploiting homeless voters through California's ballot collection laws.

"For over a decade I've been saying, ballot harvesting has been abused, in particular by the DSA," Collins alleged, referring to the Democratic Socialists of America.

California law allows voters to authorize another person to return their completed mail ballots, provided state election rules are followed.

Election law attorney Garrett Fahy previously told The Post that allowing homeless residents to register using shelters and other nontraditional addresses reflects California's efforts to protect voting access.

"The system is not set up to prevent people from voting. It's to ensure anyone who can register votes," Fahy said.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X , YouTube , WhatsApp , LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube , X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here! Page Six Hollywood : Sign up here!

---