Fury as county instantly discovers large trove of uncounted ballots for controversial Prop 50 vote

A Northern California county has discovered almost 600 uncounted ballots from final 12 months’s controversial proposition vote, which handed and allowed the redrawing of districts within the Golden State as a part of a nationwide wave throughout different states.

On Wednesday — almost six months after Humboldt County licensed the Nov. 4, 2025, statewide particular election — elections workers introduced it had found 596 sealed ballots inside a locked drop field that ought to have been counted earlier than certification, based on the county elections workplace.

“The Workplace of Elections and the state have each confirmed that counting these ballots is not going to change the results of the November 4, 2025 Statewide Particular Election.

“Nonetheless, it is vital that Humboldt County Workplace of Elections discover each obtainable choice to get these votes counted,” the county mentioned in a press launch.

County officers mentioned elections workers moved instantly to observe established procedures after discovering the ballots, confirming the ballots had “not been tampered with” as a result of the drop field remained locked and the ballots have been nonetheless sealed.

The Humboldt County Workplace of Elections then consulted with the California Secretary of State’s Workplace to find out methods to proceed, officers mentioned.

Proposition 50 was on the poll within the 2025 particular election and was handed by California voters to quickly give the state legislature the facility to redraw congressional district boundaries.

The transfer was a strategic “counter-gerrymander” designed to assist Democrats win extra seats within the U.S. Home of Representatives to offset Republican positive aspects from comparable redistricting efforts in Texas.

The measure shouldn’t be everlasting; these particular partisan maps will solely be used for elections between 2026 and 2030, at which level the authority to attract maps is scheduled to return to California’s unbiased redistricting fee.

Now that the newly uncounted ballots have been found, the state is attempting to rely them.

“We ask a variety of voters. We ask you to take part, to belief the method and to imagine that your vote can be counted. 596 voters did precisely what we requested of them, and we fell quick,” Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters Juan Pablo Cervantes mentioned, noting his disappointment. “We can be pursuing all authorized avenues to get your ballots counted.”

The measure handed final 12 months with almost 65% approval, favoring Democrats by giving them a bonus in successful 5 GOP stronghold seats this 12 months. Humboldt County — a low-population-density space in California — handed the measure with a 28% margin. In different phrases, 64% of the county voted to redraw the maps.

Even when all 596 newly found ballots have been in opposition to the measure, it will not change the result of the election. Underneath California regulation, ballots have to be destroyed six months after an election.

“This discovery highlights why sturdy techniques, redundancy and clear accountability have to be in place at each step within the election course of,” Cervantes mentioned. “On this case, these safeguards weren’t enough. That accountability is mine and I’m deeply sorry.”

It was not clear the place or underneath what circumstances the ballots have been discovered. The California Put up has reached out to the county for additional remark.

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