A Minnesota poll worker has been terminated from their position after leaving thousands of ballots unattended in an open car trunk outside Edina City Hall, located southwest of Minneapolis. The incident occurred on a Friday when the worker was in the process of dropping off boxes of ballots, and a photograph showing the unsecured boxes in the trunk quickly circulated on social media. Individuals supporting former President Donald Trump and local Republican Party leaders shared the image, raising concerns about the security of mail-in voting. However, officials from Hennepin County stated that there was no evidence of tampering with the ballots.
Surveillance footage from Edina City Hall was released by county officials, revealing that no interference took place with the ballots during the roughly nine minutes they were left unattended. Responding promptly to address the issue and combat online misinformation regarding election safety, county officials confirmed that corrective measures had been implemented to prevent future occurrences. The county announced on Saturday, “The county acknowledges that this lapse in protocol occurred, should not have happened, and is unacceptable. Corrective actions have been taken by the county and its courier to prevent any recurrence.” They further stated, “The county has confirmed the driver has been terminated.”
Hennepin County officials assured that all the ballots were still “accounted for” and remained in their “sealed condition.” In a statement, Hennepin County Auditor Daniel Rogan emphasised that leaving ballots unattended is completely unacceptable. He underlined the importance of reinforcing transfer protocols with both county staff and vendors to ensure a secure chain-of-custody process, thereby addressing risks and verifying integrity.
Former President Trump has persistently made unfounded claims alleging fraud in mail-in voting, despite experts affirming the method’s security through paper trails and multiple safeguards. The ballots left unattended in the vehicle had been deposited by voters in dropboxes, which are later collected by election workers for transportation to processing offices. While some incidents have occurred, there is no widespread evidence of fraud involving dropboxes or any other voting method. Dropboxes in most locations are monitored 24/7, secured with locks, and at times chained to the ground. The car containing the unattended ballots had previously been used to collect ballots from various cities before arriving in Edina.
In conclusion, the poll worker’s dismissal signifies the county’s commitment to upholding election integrity and ensuring stringent protocols are adhered to in the handling of ballots.