What Could Go Wrong? Hundreds of Ballots Found Unsecured on LA's Notorious Skid Row

Oct 26, 2026 7:41 PM
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What Could Go Wrong? Hundreds of Ballots Found Unsecured on LA's Notorious Skid Row
AP Photo/Richard Vogel

Nowhere else are California’s “progressive” failures more emblematic than in Los Angeles’ downtown Skid Row.

Human misery, filth, fetid homeless encampments, open sexual and drug activity, and animal abuse go on for block after block for seemingly forever.

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And it’s also been shown repeatedly to be a good place to set up shop if you’re looking to engage in a little election fraud. (See: Actually, It Does Happen: Feds Nab Alleged Ringleader of Skid Row Ballot Fraud Ring.)

Now, a new report reveals hundreds of ballots were found sitting completely unsecured in a DTLA shelter:

Hundreds of ballots were found piled in an open hallway at a Skid Row homeless shelter where more than 1,100 voters are registered, a California Post investigation found.

The ballots were spotted at The Midnight Mission, a downtown LA homeless shelter offering meals and mail services, where 1,160 voters are registered.

The Post authenticated a photo of the ballots and independently confirmed the scene during a visit to the shelter on October 13.

If you live in Skid Row, be sure to vote early and vote often:

As our Ward Clark reported in June, an investigation found 7,600 voter registrations linked to LA homeless shelters, and some facilities didn’t even have beds. Clark: “[It] would appear to be a campaign registering bums to vote, and presumably also ‘harvesting’ their ballots.”

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But don’t worry, The Midnight Mission is on the case:

The Midnight Mission told The Post election ballots are supposed to be kept under lock and key until they reach their intended recipients.

“Our standard procedure is to secure election ballots behind locked doors until they are distributed to their intended recipients,” Georgia Hawley, the organization’s chief communications officer, told The Post.

“I personally confirmed that ballots were being stored securely when I visited our mail center.”

Ok, so why were hundreds of ballots just sitting out in the open?

The outlet contacted U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli to see if his office was investigating, and he confirmed that they were looking into Skid Row ballots but did not discuss whether the Midnight Mission was being put under the microscope.

This revelation comes as the Department of Justice is suing the state, demanding that they set aside mail ballots from the more than 20,000 suspected voters they have identified as potentially not being citizens. The Golden State has, of course, rejected any measures aimed at increasing transparency and is refusing to do anything about those ballots.

News just broke as I'm writing this: the Ninth Circuit has ruled against the Trump administration. RedState Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar has more: 9th Circuit Rules on Trump DOJ's Appeal Regarding CA Mail Ballots to Likely Noncitizens.

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The Democrats keep saying that election fraud is an imaginary threat, yet not a day goes by where more isn’t discovered. The entire election process in California has become a joke, and results sometimes aren’t certified for months. (See: Sure, It's 'Legal' – but Americans Still Feel Gut-Punched and Face Slapped by CA's Goat Rodeo Vote Count.)

Midnight Mission is just one Skid Row facility — how many others are just leaving ballots scattered around their shelters? That’s the burning question, and it will have to be the DOJ that finds the answers.

Because California officials certainly won’t lift a finger to help.

Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote. It's common sense, yet Democrats are spreading lies about the impact of such a measure. 

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