Lodi says no to permanent ballot drop boxes
Jan. 5—The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters is hoping to place more than two dozen heavy-duty, permanent ballot drop boxes at locations throughout the county before the March 5 primary, but none will be located in Lodi.
The Lodi City Council on Wednesday voted 4-1 to not enter into a license agreement with the ROV to install a ballot drop box at city hall, citing there was no necessity for it. Mikey Hothi cast the dissenting vote.
In September, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved purchasing 29 Armor Ballot Drop Boxes from LaserFab, Inc. that weigh 1,200 pounds each, and will be securely bolted to the ground from the inside.
The boxes come with fortified locking mechanisms and tamper seals, as well as decals informing residents where they can vote in-person.
Lodi City Clerk Olivia Nashed said the ROV proposed placing a box in front of Veterans Plaza on Pine Street. However, city staff expressed concerns about the lack of surveillance and security at that location, and proposed placing the box at the entrance to the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services offices at 210 W. Elm Street.
Hale said this alternative location was ideal because the city would not have to purchase new or additional security equipment, as it is already installed under the building's entrance awning. In addition, the location is directly across the street from the Lodi Police Department, which would provide extra deterrence to anyone who might tamper with the drop box.
"Veterans Plaza has a special place in our hearts here," Nashed said. "The issue or concern is that the ballot box is going to attract some unwanted attention or individuals, or that it may be abused in any way, shape or form, and we wouldn't want that to happen."
Lodi resident Ria Jones said that as the wife of a U.S. Marine who served seven years in the military, placing the box at Veterans Plaza would have been an insult to those the memorial honors.
Jones also posed a variety of questions about the box and its security, including who would be responsible for repairs in the event of vandalism, and how to keep residents from placing standard mail inside it.
"There's no law that says you have to take this box," Jones said. "It's an option. It's the ROV's responsibility, not the city of Lodi's. We have 26 mailboxes in Lodi and four other drop boxes in Lodi. This doesn't need to be on city property at all."
Holly Moore, the election integrity officer for the Republican Central Committee of San Joaquin County, suggested that if the city were to move forward with the drop box, it should ask the ROV for a ballot retrieval schedule and a daily count of ballots removed from the box. In addition, the city should ask volunteers to observe the box to ensure ballot security.
"We've seen ballot mules here in the county," she said. "Unfortunately, we've also seen how ballots can be illegally harvested. This must be stopped and the fewer the drop boxes, the better."
Mayor Lisa Craig agreed with residents who spoke during the meeting, and cited the fact there are multiple ways voters can already cast ballots.
Those included placing ballots in USPS mail boxes, using the temporary drop boxes at various city businesses, or voting in-person at a resident's designated polling place.
"I don't really see the need for this. I really don't," she said. "And it's not clear why this is absolutely necessary when we still have the option for all those other means of voting."
