UPDATE: Costume Confused For Election Drop Box Wasn’t Part Of Illegal Activity
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
A “mock ballot drop box” was removed from Bristol Borough Hall after several ballots were placed inside.
The Bucks County Board of Elections said in a statement Thursday that they were made aware of the box, which had previously been used as a drop box costume worn by a person and “immediately” removed it from the borough facility.
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Six voters placed their mail-in ballots in the mock drop box, officials said.
County election officials segregated the ballots and will be contacting those voters.
The mock drop box was one of the cardboard ones worn by people who delivered a petition to county officials in summer calling for more drop boxes. While the costumes said “Mail-In Ballot Drop Box,” they had a hole for a head and two openings for someone to place their arms in.
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“Upon learning that the person responsible for placing the mock drop box was slated to work as a per diem, temporary employee for the Board of Elections, the county released the person from employment. At the time the person placed the box, the person was not yet a county employee,” officials said in a statement.
While Bristol Borough Hall has been named an official drop box location that will be monitored by staff and a camera, the mock box was not authorized by election officials.
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County officials said they verified that no other mock drop boxes were placed at any other of the 10 mail-in ballot deposit locations.
“The Board of Elections takes seriously its commitment to ensure everyone’s right to vote, and that is why its members voted unanimously to keep the official drop boxes under 24/7 video surveillance and staffed during all hours of operation,” officials said in a statement.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office was contacted by county election officials.
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Bucks County’s drop boxes feature the American flag and read: “Bucks County Official Ballot Drop Box.”
This is the second general election where widespread mail-in voting will be accepted. The previous elections with mail-in voting have had problems relating to postal service issues, but the county’s end of the process has been largely successful.
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