From NBC News · Ryan J. Reilly · · 2m
Postal worker charged with dumping 300 mail-in ballots
A Utah mail carrier threw away hundreds of ballots before the primary, citing overwhelm and laziness, not politics.
In brief
A Utah mail carrier threw away hundreds of ballots before the primary, citing overwhelm and laziness, not politics. A postal worker discarded 300 mail-in ballots out of frustration with his workload, not political motivation, but the case is being used to advance election fraud concerns. Originally reported by NBC…
Utah postal worker ditches 300 ballots
A 34-year-old mail carrier threw 300 mail-in ballots into a parking lot dumpster before Utah's June 23 primary election. He told investigators he wanted to lighten his workload by tossing advertisements.
“He claims he simply made a 'poor decision' out of 'frustration' and 'laziness.'”
No political motive, just overwhelm
The postal worker said he had no political agenda and didn't intend to discard ballots. He was simply frustrated and lazy about his heavy workload, according to investigators.
Mail-in voting dominates Utah elections
About 95 percent of Utah voters cast ballots by mail, making the state heavily dependent on postal delivery. It's unclear whether the 300 voters were able to eventually cast their ballots.
Worker charged, no longer employed
Damon Matai Seei pleaded not guilty to destruction and delay of mail. He is no longer employed by the U.S. Postal Service and his next court date is November 30.
DOJ uses case to push election fraud narrative
The Justice Department announced the charge as part of efforts to promote election integrity. The Trump administration has made voter fraud a priority despite limited evidence of widespread fraud.
Seventy voter fraud cases charged this term
The Justice Department has charged 70 voter-fraud-related cases during Trump's second term. More than 170 million people are registered to vote in the U.S.
Experts say isolated fraud doesn't change outcomes
Voting rights experts say isolated instances of fraud happen, but not on a scale that could change election results. The 2020 presidential election was won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Postal Service emphasizes election mail security
The U.S. Postal Service said it works tirelessly to ensure public trust and monitors political and election mail closely. The agency referred the dumping incident to its inspector general.
“The unique status of political and election mail makes its security a top priority during every election cycle.”
The takeaway
A postal worker discarded 300 mail-in ballots out of frustration with his workload, not political motivation, but the case is being used to advance election fraud concerns.
