A brazen broad-daylight mail heist in Sacramento has sparked election fears after officials revealed that ballots may have been swept up in the theft just as voting day approaches.
The fast grab unfolded around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the College Glen neighborhood, where surveillance footage captured a man pulling up in a gray SUV, popping open a postal truck’s rear compartment and making off with trays of mail.
A witness at a nearby home watched the theft unfold, authorities said.
Now, investigators are scrambling to determine whether election ballots were among the stolen mail.
US Postal Inspector Jonathan Lanning confirmed that ballots may have been caught up in the heist.
“Mail was stolen, and there may have been ballots affected by the theft,” Lanning told KCRA.
The theft comes as Sacramento County had just mailed out ballots with Election Day fast approaching — raising concerns that some voters could be left waiting for their chance to cast a ballot.
Local resident Mary Brown told KCRA she never received a scheduled USPS delivery that was supposed to include ballots for her great-grandchildren.
“I looked at my informed mail, and it was supposed to have my great-grandchildren’s ballot,” Brown said. “It was mailed. It should’ve been in my mailbox that day.”
Brown only learned about the theft through a neighborhood app, leaving her unsure whether the ballots had been snatched along with the other mail.
The uncertainty left her worried that her great-grandchildren could miss their chance to vote.
“I was panicked because they weren’t going to be able to vote,” Brown said.
But election officials say voters whose ballots never arrive have options.
Sacramento County elections office employee Ken Casparis told KCRA that anyone who does not receive their ballot can request a replacement by contacting the office.
“You can contact our office to request a replacement ballot,” Casparis said. “You can do that either by phone or email. And we’ll go ahead and reissue your ballot for you.”
The county will only count the first ballot it receives with the voter’s valid signature, he said.
Postal investigators are urging voters to track their ballots through the California Secretary of State’s website and stay alert for missing mail as the investigation continues.
The US Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the theft.
Anyone with information is asked to call postal inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.
