The tea on the mail theft
Election season vibes are getting a little shaky in Northern California. The San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder’s Office just dropped a press release revealing that mail-in ballots were swiped straight from a US Postal Service office in Daly City. The county and the USPS are currently on a manhunt to figure out exactly how many ballots were taken, but the situation is definitely giving us the ick.
This isn't a one-off, either. About a week ago, a postal truck in Sacramento County was raided in broad daylight. A thief in a gray SUV was caught on camera popping the back of a truck and making off with trays of mail, which US Postal Inspector Jonathan Lanning confirmed likely included ballots. The USPS is currently offering a $100,000 reward for info that leads to an arrest in that case.
How to stay safe
If you’re worried your vote might have been caught in the crossfire, don’t spiral. The San Mateo election office is telling voters to keep a close eye on their ballot status via the California Secretary of State’s website. If it looks like your ballot went missing, you can hit up their site to request a replacement. They also want you to know that each ballot is tied to an individual voter, and their systems have safeguards to make sure no one is out here casting two votes.
Why it matters
With midterms on the horizon, trust in the system is essential, and this is lowkey a major problem. San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa didn’t mince words, calling the situation "simply unacceptable" and demanding better protection for our mail. The administration of President Donald Trump has been trying to restrict mail-in voting for a minute now, so these thefts are adding extra fuel to the fire. Real talk: your right to vote is the main character of this election, and we need to make sure these ballots actually reach their destination.
