Humboldt County Finds 596 Uncounted Ballots in Drop Box

Humboldt County election officials in California discovered 596 uncounted ballots from the November 4, 2025, special election on Proposition 50 inside a locked ballot drop box, the county announced on Wednesday.

The ballots, found on Monday, remained sealed with no signs of tampering, according to a statement from the Humboldt County Office of Elections. Staff determined the oversight stemmed from a miscommunication among workers who checked the drop box but failed to confirm it had been fully emptied before certification on December 5, 2025. The county is consulting with the California Secretary of State's office to explore legal options for counting the ballots before a state-required destruction deadline six months after certification.

Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes took responsibility in the statement. "While the mistake occurred after an election worker did not follow proper procedures, the responsibility for what happened ultimately sits with me," he said. "I did not have strong enough controls in place to prevent this, but we do now." Cervantes emphasized the failure undermined voter trust, noting that the affected voters had...