California GOP pulls unofficial ballot drop boxes
State investigating use of unsanctioned collection boxes
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - California election officials say the state Republican party has pulled the unofficial drop boxes that came under fire last weekend.
Related: California GOP admits to owning unofficial ballot drop boxes
The state says it is issuing a subpoena to learn more about drop boxes that turned up in Los Angeles, Orange, and Fresno counties last week. Officials say the boxes were labeled in a way that misled voters to believe they were official and secure boxes.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Attorney General Xavier Becerra say the unauthorized drop boxes violated state law and jeopardized the security of voters’ ballots.
Related: California authorities send cease and desist to state GOP over unofficial ballot drop boxes
However, state Republicans say they've been following the law. They say they corrected a mislabeled box as soon as they learned of the problem. GOP leaders also say they'll continue to use the boxes. They accuse the state of trying to intimidate their supporters.
Republicans say they're simply practicing ballot harvesting, which they say is perfectly legal. Ballot harvesting allows third parties to collect and deliver ballots.
Under California law, a voter can designate another person to deliver their ballot for them. Democrats say the drop boxes take that designation to a new level. They claim the practice could lead to the disposal of ballots.
A recent bill tried to put more restrictions on specifically who can collect and deliver another voter's ballot, but the measure did not clear the California legislature.
