Orange, Calif. — A Newport Beach-based California Republican Party staff member promoted filing cabinets as official Orange County ballot drop boxes yesterday, a day after similar filing cabinets appeared in Los Angeles and Fresno Counties, the Orange County Register reported yesterday. The staffer’s Tweet was posted here and a photo of the post is available here. Unofficial ballot boxes are a violation of state law.
Democratic Party of Orange County Chair Ada Briceño issued letters to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, California Secretary of State, California Attorney General and Orange County District Attorney, urging them to investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
In a statement, Chair Briceño added:
“The law is clear: Unauthorized ballot drop boxes are illegal. Putting filing cabinets on street corners and calling them ‘official drop boxes’ is voter suppression, plain and simple. It is beyond disheartening to see the Republican Party break the law, but it’s not surprising — they are following Donald Trump’s footsteps in an attempt to steal this election at any cost. Right-wing conservatives have a shameful history of voter suppression, especially in Orange County.
Voters need trust in our election system, and this latest attempt by senior Republicans only erodes that trust. These fake drop boxes should not be tolerated. I’ve called on local and state leaders to set an example and put a stop to this. We must send a clear message that we will not tolerate voter suppression.”
The Orange County Registrar of Voters has said it will investigate, stating “We are looking into this and, to clarify, unauthorized ballot drop boxes are not allowed under state law.” The California Secretary of State also issued public guidance clarifying that “state law does not authorize” unauthorized drop boxes.
Voters are urged to report any fake ballot boxes to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. Official drop box locations can be found here.
About the Democratic Party of Orange County
Once famously known as “Reagan country,” after President Reagan called Orange County the place where “all good Republicans go to die,” Orange County is rapidly shifting from a Republican stronghold into a highly diverse Democratic metropolis.
Chair Ada Briceno, a longtime labor organizer, Co-President of UNITE HERE Local 11, and recently elected Democratic National Committee member, is the first immigrant and second Latina to lead the Democratic Party of Orange County. Her executive leadership team includes Latino, Vietnamese, millennial, and LGBT representation.
Democrats swept all seven Congressional seats in Orange County in 2018. Less than a year later, Democrats overtook countywide voter registration to become the region’s leading political party. Today, OC Democrats have gained more than a 2-point voter advantage over the GOP.
Orange County is the nation’s sixth largest county, with 3.2 million residents and more than half a million registered Democratic voters.
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For Immediate Release: October 12, 2020
Media Contact: Rachel Potucek, rachel@ocdemocrats.org