Bucks Election Board Confiscates Mock Voter Drop Box from Bristol Borough Hall

Six voters appeared to have deposited their mail-in ballots in the box. The Board of Elections retrieved these ballots from the box and segregated them. The owners of those ballots will be contacted. The Board of Elections promptly contacted the District Attorney after securing the ballots and confiscating the box, said county officials.

Upon learning that the person responsible for placing the mock drop box was slated to work as a per diem, temporary employee for the Board of Elections, the county released the person from employment. At the time the person placed the box, the person was not yet a county employee.

Placement of the mock drop box was at no time sanctioned by the Board of Elections. The county verified with the person that Bristol Borough Hall was the only location where such a box was placed.

Bristol Borough Council approved hosting a mail in ballot drop box at the suggestion of Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, who also serves as the Chair of the county election board.

A spokesperson for Harvie referred Lower Bucks Source to the county press release for comment.

The approved main-in ballot box is scheduled to be placed in the borough municipal building on October 18, according to county officials. That ballot box will have will be located on the first floor of the municipal building, and will have camera on it at all times with a county security employee to watch over officials said,

The Board of Elections takes seriously its commitment to ensure everyone’s right to vote, and that is why its members voted unanimously to keep the official drop boxes under 24/7 video surveillance and staffed during all hours of operation.

The report and removal from Borough Hall was so quick, multiple sources said, a number of borough officials had no idea it occurred.

The person placing the mock ballot box, has not been identified by officials.

While the Board of Elections maintains jurisdiction over ballot and election matters criminal investigations are handled by the District Attorney’s Office. As such, the offices work together on a case-by-case basis.