Feds investigate after undelivered ballots found dumped in Seattle park

Ninety-two ballots meant for King County voters were found discarded in a dumpster at Seattle’s Golden Gardens Park, prompting a federal investigation and a police search of more than two dozen trash bins.

The ballots were discovered among two bins of undelivered mail after a voter alerted King County Elections. Elections staff went to the park and recovered the mail.

All 92 ballots have since been invalidated and replacements issued to the affected voters.

Seattle police also responded. Officers checked 26 trash bins across two parking lots but found no additional ballots.

The discovery leaves unanswered how two bins of mail ended up in a park dumpster instead of reaching voters. King County Elections officials have characterized the discovery as consistent with mail theft, saying ballots are often discarded by thieves seeking other items. That explanation has not been publicly established as the investigative finding in this case.

KCE Chief of Staff Kendall Hodson told KOMO News that the agency typically hears about a handful of incidents involving ballots discarded after mail theft during each major election.

In a statement provided to the outlet, USPS' Office of Inspector General is handling the investigation. “The U.S. Postal Service is fully committed to the secure and timely delivery of the nation’s Election Mail. We are aware of the reported situation in Seattle and understand that the matter is with the USPS Office of the Inspector General,” USPS said.

Elections officials said safeguards for returned ballots include signature verification and checks to prevent more than one ballot from being accepted for a voter. “Every voter has a voter ID and every individual ballot also has its own ballot ID. We can only accept one ballot ID and this one ballot per every voter,” KCE spokesperson Halei Watkins told KOMO. Watkins said election workers verify every returned ballot’s signature. When a signature raises questions, officials hold the ballot from counting while contacting the voter to resolve the issue.

In April, Washington Republican Party Chairman and state Rep. Jim Walsh said a citizen brought roughly 400 mostly unopened, unvoted ballots to party headquarters after finding them beside a dumpster behind a Renton strip mall. The ballots spanned primary and general elections from 2022 through 2025. Federal postal inspectors took custody on April 21, working with Renton police and coordinating with the FBI. King County Elections said its initial review indicated those ballots had been delivered to a private mailbox location but never collected by voters.

King County voters who have not received their ballots can call 206-296-8683 to request assistance. Anyone who finds discarded ballots is asked to contact elections@kingcounty.gov or 206-296-VOTE, providing photographs and the location when possible.