In a rare mishap, an election worker in Miami-Dade County lost their job after a ballot box and bag “fell” from an unlocked truck Monday night. The incident, which took place following early voting at the South Dade Regional Library, was caught by alert residents who quickly reported the items to police, ensuring their safe retrieval.
The Miami-Dade Elections Department reported that the ballot box fell off the truck when the rear door, mistakenly left unlocked, swung open. Christina White, the Supervisor of Elections for Miami-Dade, explained that the worker involved was “distraught” over the error but stressed that the department maintains “zero tolerance” for such incidents.
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 praised the quick response of those who discovered the items, describing them as “upstanding citizens” who acted responsibly to protect the integrity of the election process. An examination confirmed that the seals on both the box and bag were intact, with no signs of tampering or damage to any ballots.
The ballots in the bin had already been counted and tabulated, ensuring no impact on vote tallies. White also clarified that the bag contained a single provisional ballot, which would be reviewed for eligibility under standard procedures.
In response to the incident, election officials reinforced security protocols and reminded all workers of the critical nature of election integrity, aiming to prevent a similar event in the future.
