A ballot drop box used during San Diego County’s June 2 election remained on a roadside in Rancho San Diego for more than a week after voting ended, prompting questions from residents who wondered whether ballots had been properly collected and secured.
The official drop box, located on Hilton Head Road near the entrance to Hilton Head County Park, was still standing on Friday, days after the election concluded. Its continued presence raised concerns among some local residents who expected election equipment to be removed immediately after voting ended.
Stephanie Melaney, who noticed the box earlier in the week, said she was surprised to find it still in place.
“To me, it was actually very alarming that there’s a ballot box still here this length of time, and it’s not been picked up,” Melaney told CBS.
Her primary concern centered on whether voters who used the drop box could be confident their ballots had been collected.
“If somebody in the neighborhood put a ballot in here, do they have any assurance that it was picked up, or it’s still just sitting there,” she said.
In response to those concerns, the San Diego County Registrar of Voters said all ballots deposited at the location had been collected on Election Day and that the box itself remained empty and secured.
According to election officials, the drop box was available to voters from May 5 through June 2. The slot was locked at 8 p.m. on Election Night, and election workers retrieved all ballots from the container that same evening.
Officials emphasized that while the physical box remained at the site after the election, it no longer contained any ballots.
The Registrar’s Office explained that temporary drop boxes placed at county parks are designed to remain secure even when left in place between collection and removal. The containers are attached using heavy-duty chains and anchored to concrete pads or other fixed structures to prevent theft, tampering, or unauthorized movement.
Election officials also noted that it is not uncommon for some drop boxes to remain at their locations for a period after voting concludes. The Rancho San Diego box, they said, was scheduled for removal on Friday afternoon.
Melaney, however, argued that the timeline was too long.
“It should have been picked up on June 2 in the evening,” she said.
She also questioned whether the site itself was the best choice for a ballot drop box, noting its location near a park entrance rather than a more heavily trafficked government building or civic facility.
County officials defended both the placement and design of the site, stating that all ballot drop box locations are selected to comply with accessibility requirements and security standards established for elections.
Despite the concerns raised by residents, election officials maintain that no ballots were left unsecured and that the collection process was completed on schedule. According to the Registrar’s Office, the same Hilton Head Road location is expected to be used again when ballot drop boxes are deployed ahead of San Diego County’s Nov. 3 general election.
