A federal investigation has been launched into claims of voter fraud in Berkeley, California, after 100 voter pamphlets were found dumped in a trash can.
Scott Wheeler says he found the pamphlets inside a recycling bin when he was walking down the street near his home.
Ktvu.com reports:
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“They were just sitting there on top. I stopped what I was doing with the eggs,” says Wheeler. He says he had been collecting egg cartons.
Wheeler counted 96 of them addressed to people in various parts of Berkeley.
He described his reaction as, “Pretty surprised and disturbed and it may even be a crime.”
Wheeler says he called police, the U.S. Postal Inspector, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and KTVU News to report his find.
“It’s really serious. This is one of the most important elections in our lifetime. I want to know if this goes deeper,” says Wheeler.
The Alameda County Registrar of Voters says this is an isolated incident.
“As soon as they found those pamphlets they were immediately delivered to our voters so they’ve received their materials and they’re able to vote,” says Tim Dupuis, Alameda County’s registrar of voters.
Wheeler says he also discovered he had been recently de-activated as a registered voter.
He says election officials removed him when a permanent mail in voter card was sent to Wheeler but the card was returned as undeliverable.
Wheeler says he had been a permanent mail in voter for years.
The Postal Service says it is investigating both incidents.
Deputy Special Agent in Charge Glenn S. San Jose spoke with KTVU by phone from his office in San Diego.
“Should there be any type of alleged fraud whether administrative or criminal, the Office of Inspector General will diligently pursue those matters.”
“I’m not looking for heads. I’m looking for it to be fixed,” says Wheeler.
“Dumping voter guides during an extremely important election is not the solution.”
The Postal Service says it is confident it will find out who is responsible for dumping the voter pamphlets and that it hopes to complete its investigation before Election Day.
Man finds nearly 100 voter pamphlets dumped in recycling bin @berkeley. Federal investigation under way #ktvu@10:30p pic.twitter.com/6WvU1L6rpQ
— Amber Lee (@AmberKTVU) October 20, 2016
