An election worker in Miami-Dade County has been fired after a ballot box and bag “fell” from a truck on Monday night, drawing quick reactions from vigilant residents who reported the incident to local police. The materials, which fell due to an unlocked truck door, were later confirmed to be intact and untampered.
The incident happened as ballots from the South Dade Regional Library voting site were being transported. Supervisor of Elections Christina White explained that the worker responsible for securing the truck mistakenly left the door unlocked, allowing the materials to fall out. She emphasized that “zero tolerance” applies to such errors in elections, though the worker had been “distraught” about the mistake.
NEW: Miami-Dade County terminates elections employee after box of ballots found on the side of the road pic.twitter.com/VTTwO9OHzo
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White commended the alert residents who retrieved the ballots, calling them “upstanding citizens” whose actions safeguarded the ballots. After review, election officials confirmed the seals were intact, and no tampering had occurred. The ballots had been processed, so their status remained unaffected.
A single provisional ballot was among the items retrieved and will be reviewed as per usual election verification procedures. White stressed that all votes in the ballot box were already counted and tabulated, ensuring no interruption to the election’s integrity.
The Miami-Dade Elections Department has reiterated protocols with all staff to prevent future mishaps and maintain public trust in the election process.
