Hundreds of election ballots were found piled in an open hallway at The Midnight Mission, a downtown Los Angeles homeless shelter on Skid Row that public records list as having 1,160 registered voters.
Reporters at the New York Post photographed the ballots and confirmed they were legitimate.
BREAKING: CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS A JOKE!
HUNDREDS OF UNSECURED ELECTION BALLOTS FOUND STACKED IN OPEN HALLWAY AT SKID ROW HOMELESS SHELTER WITH 1,160 REGISTERED VOTERS**Hundreds Of Mail-In Election Ballots Were Discovered Stacked In An Open Hallway At The Midnight Mission, A Downtown Los Angeles Homeless Shelter On Skid Row Where Public Records Show 1,160 Voters Are Registered, According To An Investigation By The California Post.
The Outlet Authenticated Photographs Of The Unsecured Ballots & Independently Confirmed The Scene During An October 13 Visit To The Facility At 601 South San Pedro Street.
Georgia Hawley, The Organization’s Chief Communications Officer, Stated That “Our Standard Procedure Is To Secure Election Ballots Behind Locked Doors Until They Are Distributed To Their Intended Recipients,” Attributing The Arrangement To Limited Mailroom Space While Handling High Volumes Of Mail For Residents.
This Finding Follows A June Report By The Same Outlet Identifying More Than 7,600 Voter Registrations Linked To Los Angeles Homeless Shelters & Service Providers, Including Locations Whose Bed Capacities Fall Far Below Associated Registration Totals.
Under California Law, Individuals Experiencing Homelessness May Register To Vote Using A Shelter Address Or A Clear Description Of The Location Where They Spend Most Of Their Time, Consistent With Guidance From The California Secretary Of State.
@TheJusticeDept @USAttyEssayli Has Confirmed An Ongoing Federal Investigation Into Election Ballots On Skid Row, Though He Declined To Address The Midnight Mission Specifically.
Critics, Including Republican Congressional Candidate Scott Meyers, Have Characterized The Handling As Treating Ballots “Like Junk Mail,” Underscoring That Such Materials Constitute “Pieces Of Gold” Central To Democratic Processes.
Even Absent Documented Fraud, The Open Storage Of Ballots Risks Undermining Public Confidence In The November 3 General Election, Particularly Under California’s Rules Permitting Authorized Third Parties To Collect & Return Completed Mail Ballots.
Election Integrity Advocates Contend That Transparent, Secure Procedures Are Essential To Balance Voting Access For Vulnerable Populations With The Integrity Of The Electoral System Itself.
— John Basham (@JohnBasham) October 26, 2026
The shelter provides meals and mail services to residents.
Georgia Hawley, the organization’s chief communications officer, told the Post that standard procedure is to keep election ballots locked until they reach intended recipients and that she had personally confirmed secure storage during a visit to the mail center.
The image and on-site confirmation showed the ballots left exposed in a common area rather than behind locked doors.
The latest incident follows a June Post report that identified roughly 7,600 voter registrations tied to Los Angeles homeless shelters and service providers across the city, including facilities that offer no overnight beds.
The Midnight Mission accounted for the largest concentration in that earlier review.
Republican congressional candidate Scott Meyers told The Post that the open storage is treating ballots like junk mail.
“We’re treating ballots like junk mail,” Meyers said. “These are pieces of gold. This is our democracy.”
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed to the paper that federal authorities are investigating the ballots on Skid Row but declined to discuss The Midnight Mission specifically.
The discovery comes ahead of the November 3 general election under California’s mail-ballot system, which allows authorized third parties to collect and return completed ballots.
Skid Row has drawn prior federal scrutiny over election-related activity.
In September, James Brass, also known as “Lord,” of Victorville was arrested along with two others on a federal indictment charging them with paying people on Skid Row to sign ballot initiative petitions using the stolen identities of registered voters.
Prosecutors alleged the defendants pulled names from a voter database, distributed the personal information on Skid Row, and paid signers to forge the names, with Brass allegedly receiving about $41,600 from a petition management company.
“It is imperative that Americans have confidence in our voting system and election infrastructure” said Patrick Grandy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, in a statement following the arrest of Brass. “The scheme outlined in today’s indictment sought to undermine an essential pillar of our democracy and cause an undue burden on taxpayers. We will remain vigilant in detecting those trying to weaken our political process and we will aggressively investigate any allegations of voter fraud or other election crimes.”
The combination of high registration numbers at shelters, unsecured ballots, and earlier petition fraud allegations raises serious concerns about ballot chain-of-custody.
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