A brazen daytime mail theft in Sacramento has raised election concerns after officials said ballots could have been among the items taken just weeks before Election Day.
The theft occurred at about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the College Glen neighborhood. Surveillance video showed a man arriving in a gray SUV, opening the rear compartment of a postal truck and taking trays filled with mail.
Authorities said a resident at a nearby home witnessed the incident.
Investigators are now working to establish whether any election ballots were included in the stolen mail.
Jonathan Lanning, a US Postal Inspection Service inspector, confirmed that possibility.
“Mail was stolen, and there may have been ballots affected by the theft,” Lanning told KCRA.
The incident occurred shortly after Sacramento County mailed ballots to voters, intensifying concerns that some residents may not receive them in time to vote.
Sacramento resident Mary Brown told KCRA that a USPS delivery containing ballots for her great-grandchildren never arrived as scheduled.
“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.”
Brown said she learned about the theft only through a neighborhood app, leaving her uncertain whether the ballots were taken with the other mail.
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The situation made her 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, said voters have options if their ballots do not arrive.
Ken Casparis, an employee with the Sacramento County elections office, told KCRA that voters can contact the office to request replacement ballots.
“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 it receives bearing the voter’s valid signature.
As the investigation continues, postal inspectors are advising voters to track their ballots through the California Secretary of State’s website and watch for any missing 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.
