Mail-In Ballots Stolen in Multiple Middlesex County Towns Raise Major Election Security Concerns
Mail-in votes were stolen in at least two Middlesex County villages last month, forcing officials to rush to replace them to avoid double counting. The accidents in Metuchen and Woodbridge may have affected nearby areas. Law enforcement is investigating.
Missing votes from delivery routes alerted postal officials to the crimes. A postal inspection showed that the USPS alerted the county clerk’s office, which notified affected voters and reissued ballots. The postal inspector called the Metuchen thefts isolated on September 24. Officers in Woodbridge confirmed theft and sent queries to the postal agency.
Middlesex County election officials prioritized voter safety. The county clerk’s office sends replacement ballots, cross-checks returned votes, and verifies signatures to guarantee no ballot is tallied twice after a mail system outage. The clerk’s office informed concerned voters that some ballots may have been delayed or lost due to a “mail delivery issue”.
The thefts throw suspicion on NJ mail-in voting. Mail-in ballots must be properly handled and returned by deadlines to be tabulated, but the current situation highlights the potential of intercepted ballots. NJ voters must return mail-in votes by the deadline. The law allows counties to reissue missing or corrupted ballots.
Local law police and election administrators must determine if the ballots were organized theft, mail fraud, or criminal mischief. Although the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office is not investigating, some stolen merchandise affected Woodbridge. Postal inspectors continue review.
Election officials say they would thoroughly check mail-in votes, especially in delivery irregularities. Voters in impacted neighborhoods were advised that replacement ballots were supplied and that votes are being thoroughly checked. Before this year’s election, the postal service, election board, and county clerk quickly restored public faith in mail-in voting.
Even isolated occurrences like this might harm voter trust and prompt requests for greater security given how crucial mail-in voting has become, especially in recent elections. Election administrators say every eligible and true vote must be counted notwithstanding the small number of ballots involved.
Sources
News report on stolen ballots in Metuchen and Woodbridge, Middlesex County
State of New Jersey Division of Elections vote-by-mail guidelines
