Thank you, James for a comprehensive recap on Andy’s very informative talk. Yes, we find our state and county in peril, with seemingly insurmountable challenges all brought on by the one party state. Virtually, at every turn there is fraud, abuse of power, intimidation, retribution and downright criminality!
The latest? Our Governor, and his wife are apparently under FBI investigation, for wait for it…fraud! What a shocker! Based on Newsom’s unhinged, lashing out it would seem that there is something to the reports.
Let’s see, his wife runs NFP’s, to which she draws a huge salary while simultaneously shaking down businesses for “donations” in order to receive state contracts? Isn’t that what the mafia does?
At the end of the day, the grift of the California Democratic apparatus is so complex and indoctrinated into our everyday life, and virtually every facet of government, I’m not sure how this tangled web will ever get resolved.
Sorry, shy of a complete meltdown and revolution, I’m not optimistic.
They Stockholm Syndromed us. That is what we must fight. They are in fact the petty little man growling behind the curtain in the Land of Oz.
Cutting off their tax dollar crack is kryptonite. Shove Transparent California costs to taxpayers in the faces of every single government employee who dares complain.
I love Andy Caldwell. He gets it. It all stems back to the union’s power. That’s why California pensions are insane! Nobody on the planet gets that kind of money in retirement except for the extremely rare case. And the fact that ALL government works, including the universities, road maintenance and plumbers the unclog their toilets MUST BE UNION! The people must take back the government from these bad actors. They are Rich beyond belief and getting richer off of our tax dollars.
Transparent California website has a separate listing for government employee pensions.
Got any favorite names out of the past like former city or schools administrators, judges, first responders, teachers, professors, see how nicely we are proving in for their years of “public service”.
I read this article titled "Power Grab in Paradise" By James Fenkner, CFA
I quote from same "In a county where independent voices face media silence and institutional resistance, exposing the mechanics of control—patronage, force, and centralized ambition—remains the first step toward accountability. "
You see illegal and criminal activity BLOW THE WHISTLE on the Corrupt Leaders that is how
Governor Newsom has now got serious problems from a WHISTLEBLOWER>
"The Santa Barbara Foundation is committed to creating a safe, thriving community for all. Our county is home to vibrant immigrant communities that are integral to our region's identity, economy, and culture. According to census data, as of July 2024, there were approximately 98,235 foreign born residents living in Santa Barbara County, or 22% of Santa Barbara County’s population."
Recent Noozhawk article. Non-profits make up 8.5% of our local workforce.
Many operating off taxpayer funded government grants. They are “concerned” about loss of taxpayer funded grant revenues under this administration.
In other words, these are not “charitable operations” operating only off public donations and good will. But extensions of the insider political favoritism funding stream, for partisan benefit.
Using taxpayer dollars to fund NPOs/ NGOs which are actually government operations needs to be outlawed but of course will not be. It’s the friends and family job security entitlement. When will taxpayers rise? Never. As Andy stated: “Influencing Republicans is like herding cats in a minefield of egos.”
1…. We have not had a raise in XYZ years. ….. yet a quick visit to Transparent California shows $20-30,000 raised costs to taxpayers for each of these complaining employees.
Taxpayers fund all increases in their health care benefits and pensions funding demands. These are called raises since the employees do not need to fund their increasing costs to tax payers.
2. They have been getting raises every year. Just not in their take home pay. Their unions control what health insurance plans are dumped on the taxpayers to fully fund. Union demanded blank checks handed to their chosen health insurance providers raises health care costs for the rest of us, in turn.
3. They get automatic COLA, so any Democrat policy inflation rolls off their backs since they automatically rise with the inflation tide.
4. They can get an immediate raise of over $1000 a year, just by opting out of their annual union membership. Freedom Foundation website guides them through the opt-out process.
5. They made the choice to work for the taxpayers. This is an unstable funding source. Hating America and capitalism, which feeds them, is self sabotage.
6. Government employment is not an entitlement. It is a partnership. Sabotaging tax revenues by their collective woke actions is counter productive. Not controlling internal waste, fraud and abuse is counterproductive.
7. Kicking us in the teeth with their snotty, Imperious, elitist attitudes is the most counterproductive of all. Looking at you, Laura Capps
Excellent James Our first mistake was allowing public sector employees to unionize. From that point on... they would, and continue to support the hand that feeds them, at the expense of those who pay for it. We, the taxpayers. Public employees already enjoy every benefit devised by government. Their unions' only purpose is to maintain the power of their benefactors.... the democrats. The rest of us are left holding the bag.... filled with poop.
AJ: Are these Guadalupe residents foreign born ‘subject to the jurisdiction of’ city, Santa Barbara County, or state? Are they “a person” taxed, required to follow laws, subject to arrest? Research election law. If yes, there’s no prohibition against their voting.
For election law fraud, start by researching the US Constitution and court rulings. Only born or naturalized citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. Non-citizens voting in federal elections are ‘subject to felony’ prosecution. The Constitution addresses “citizens” as distinct from “persons”. How many CA voting non-citizens have been guilty of a felony: ZERO. How many “persons” vote? Hundreds of thousands including all those public school students registered in public school classrooms where it is against the law to ask citizenship status!
Eventually you’ll discover there’s no place in CA to report those unlawfully voting; no funding to pursue prosecutions; no explicit Congressional law prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
Our CA electoral system is worse than third world. For starters, CONGRESS MUST ACT to pass the SAVE Act.
Your observations are correct. Democrats and the teachers unions did the exact same thing about two decades ago, when the overly generous and badly underfunded public pensions were granted to state government employees. Their past is now our prologue.
About 20 years ago, teachers unions needed to bargain with hundreds of separate and relatively autonomous school districts, with independent elected boars of trustees. Voters had woken up to the ruinous defined-benefit public pension plans that had recently been put in place.
Two major statewide ballot propositions gathered enough signatures to put public pension reform on the ballot. The long range concerns about this looming public pension threat was an actuarial fact twenty years down the road. (Twenty years down the road is now today - it all came true)
The projected numbers proved government pensions would devour more and more tax dollars every year, once baby boomer employees started retiring. Then tax payers were on the hook paying for two government employees for every government job: the full pension for the one retiring and for that employee’s new replacement.
It did not take long for the teachers union to figure out what to do, about twenty years ago.
They could buy a lot fewer elected officials in the state legislature in Sacramento to keep getting favorable legislation, than having to battle for benefits at each of the state’s thousand of local and independently elected school boards.. So the teachers unions concentrated their power taking over the state legislature. And thus they did…….for the children.
Additionally, they started the great replacement of local school boards to put them also now fully in the grip of the teachers unions, to make sure they also marched to the orders coming out from the teacher union dominated state legislature. K-12 curriculum also became “woke” insuring a new generation of future Democrat Voters.
Prop 98 passed by voters in 1988, guaranteed a protected funding source for “public education.” The borders opened, classrooms were bulging due the rush of high-birth rate new undocumented state residents who were guaranteed 15 years of free public education for their own children. State internal population grew exponentially. Teacher unions had guaranteed job security. $1000 plus annual teacher union dues grew a massive political action war chest.
Teachers unions, along with CSEA unions for education staffers, were fat, happy, growing in numbers and powerful . Sacramento was fully in their hands. Union-friendly AG Kamala Harris was more than happy to sabotage the two public pension reform ballot propositions.
Power had been consolidated in Sacramento, local school boards became ceremonial only. And California public education dropped into the dismal nationwide ranking it finds itself today, and also riddled by the same grift and fraud now undermining all Democrat run government institutions.
Democrats, riding in on the teachers unions……….for the children……… locked up Sacramento, they locked up local school boards, the state school superintendent is their tool. Any and all attempts by reform candidates, so far have mysteriously disappeared after………the long counts.
Who did win this last race for state school superintendent?
Supervisor Roy Lee at least runs a private sector business and makes a darn fine walnut shrimp. Nepo-baby Princess Laura is a ridiculous role model, if anyone really cares about Santa Barbara county.
Up your game, Roy. Is your restaurant run by union employees telling you what to do? We don’t want the county run by the employee unions either.
In a recent SBCurrent Sunday article Andy Caldwell wrote how to “legalize opportunities for fraud. That is, one of the most basic opportunities for fraud is via ballot harvesting which breaks the chain of control of the ballot between the voter and the registrar of voters.” If a voter cannot make time to pre-register, cast and deliver his/her ballot, or request an absentee ballot, they are not prioritizing their civic duty, their responsibility.
I stop reading anything once I see something I need explained, particularly if it is derogatory. In describing the LA governor's race, there is a charge of "ballot harvesting." In what way? Please explain.
Yes, ballot harvesting (more precisely called “ballot collection”) is legal and actively practiced in Los Angeles elections.2
California law (Elections Code § 3017) allows any voter-designated person to return a completed mail (vote-by-mail or VBM) ballot on the voter’s behalf. This has been the case since AB 1921 took effect ahead of the 2018 elections, expanding beyond just family or household members.0
Key Rules and Restrictions
• The collector must be designated by the voter.
• No compensation based on the number of ballots returned (flat-rate pay for organizing or driving is generally allowed, but per-ballot bounties are illegal).
• The ballot must typically be returned within 3 days of receipt from the voter (or by Election Day).
• Tampering, coercion, non-delivery, or using misleading “unofficial” drop boxes that impersonate official ones is illegal and can result in fines or prison time.
• Both major parties, campaigns, unions, and community groups organize collection efforts.3
Los Angeles County follows state law and provides many official 24-hour VBM drop boxes and vote centers. Unofficial collection is common alongside these.
How Large Is It in LA Elections?
There is no precise public statistic breaking out exactly how many ballots in any given LA election are third-party collected versus personally dropped off or mailed by the voter. Election officials process received ballots the same way regardless of who delivers them, and they do not publish granular “harvested vs. non-harvested” data for privacy and administrative reasons.
However, the practice is significant in scale because:
• California (and LA County) has very high VBM usage. In the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary, LA County saw roughly 1.8+ million VBM ballots out of about 2.22 million total votes cast so far (with ~5.89 million registered voters and turnout around 37-38% in updates).44
• Large batches are routine. Historical examples from nearby Orange County (similar urban/suburban dynamics) include 250,000 mailed ballots turned in on Election Day, with individual collectors sometimes dropping off 100–200 at a time.16
• Organized collection contributes to the large “dumps” of ballots that arrive on or after Election Day. These delay full results for days or weeks and have been analyzed as sometimes shifting leads (late/post-Election Day VBM ballots have shown Democratic skew in some past cycles).24
In short, ballot collection is a standard, large-scale feature of the LA/CA mail-heavy voting system rather than a fringe activity. It is used aggressively by campaigns on both sides as a turnout tool.
Fraud Concerns and Current Context (2026)
Critics (including Republicans and some editorial boards) argue the system is vulnerable to coercion, ballot tampering, or selective non-delivery because one person can handle dozens or hundreds of ballots with limited real-time tracking.11
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles has active investigations into election fraud allegations tied to the recent LA-area voting, including monitoring the county’s ballot processing center.10
• Isolated incidents occur (e.g., a small number of ballots burned in one official drop box in late May 2026).32
• Overall rejection rates for VBM ballots remain low (around 1% in recent cycles), and officials emphasize signature verification and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Related probes have also looked at voter registration issues (e.g., at homeless shelters), separate from but sometimes conflated with harvesting claims.15
Bottom line: Ballot collection is legal, widespread, and contributes meaningfully to the volume of mail ballots in Los Angeles elections—especially in a county with millions of VBM ballots. Exact “harvested” numbers aren’t publicly tallied, but the practice is large enough to affect timing and, in very close races, final margins through organized batch deliveries. Oversight exists, investigations are ongoing where fraud is alleged, and both parties participate. For the most current official data on any specific LA race, check the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk site (lavote.gov) or the California Secretary of State.
When there are 500,000 government employees in this state, there is a lot of existential interest ensuring as many friendly ballots are collected as possible to chose who writes their paychecks and hands out their perks and pensions.
Mass last minute ballot dumps anre a calculated feature, meant to break the ballot verification system down. Even the media demanding faster results enhances the reckless verification process, controlled by the same unions, allowing more questionable harvested ballots get only a cursory pass.
What looks good on paper in the election code today is a total farce in practice. Ask anyone who volunteered on prior elections.
Democrats sold this farce as “enhancing voter participation”. Any objection to the infamously fraud riddled process was met immediately with the charge…….you are denying people their right to vote?
This is what we are up against, including “innocent questions” about the legality of ballot harvesting. On paper, or in practice? Two vastly different animals.
Only solution is the old way: same day in person voting at the polls and voter registration validation done well before Election Day. Election results within 24 hours. Absentee voting only under strict limitations.
Thank you for your explanation, that certainly is clear - and as long as it is constantly monitored to ensure these are valid, it is a great way to let working people vote. Those who can't get to the polls and are not trustworthy enough to get their mail in ballots to the polls in time. I can see where many or most of these voters would not be voting in a way that might favor the "elite" or "rich" in our community. Seems like the most of these would be from older, poor, or disabled folks, currently mostly Dems. Keep up the good work, we need to be monitored! Trust, but verify! Thank you again!
Ballot Harvesting should not be legal. The entire intent is to collect ballots from people who wouldn't otherwise be voting. It couldn't be easier to vote in CA, if you can't get a ballot in your mailbox, then you can't do all of the things in life required to just function.
We don't need operative runners farming Universities and Skid Row. There's no way to monitor a system of this magnitude.
It is not monitored at all. What are you even talking about? None of the “restrictions” are even remotely enforceable. Sorry, but I smell a shill. Prove me wrong.
"• The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles has active investigations into election fraud allegations tied to the recent LA-area voting, including monitoring the county’s ballot processing center.10"
"• Overall rejection rates for VBM ballots remain low (around 1% in recent cycles), and officials emphasize signature verification and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Related probes have also looked at voter registration issues (e.g., at homeless shelters), separate from but sometimes conflated with harvesting claims.15"
"Investigating" not "monitoring" sorry, not sorry. As far as enforcing "restrictions" - would that be like asking djt to obey the law or the constitution or the congress or the courts?
Thank you, James for a comprehensive recap on Andy’s very informative talk. Yes, we find our state and county in peril, with seemingly insurmountable challenges all brought on by the one party state. Virtually, at every turn there is fraud, abuse of power, intimidation, retribution and downright criminality!
The latest? Our Governor, and his wife are apparently under FBI investigation, for wait for it…fraud! What a shocker! Based on Newsom’s unhinged, lashing out it would seem that there is something to the reports.
Let’s see, his wife runs NFP’s, to which she draws a huge salary while simultaneously shaking down businesses for “donations” in order to receive state contracts? Isn’t that what the mafia does?
At the end of the day, the grift of the California Democratic apparatus is so complex and indoctrinated into our everyday life, and virtually every facet of government, I’m not sure how this tangled web will ever get resolved.
Sorry, shy of a complete meltdown and revolution, I’m not optimistic.
Yes, LT FBI ... but you may say they have serious problems. Well let's see what the FBI
can get on NEWSON and his CALI Foundations. Follow the Dark Corrupt Money.
LT, Gavy played the GIFT/REFI SCAM looks like>
https://x.com/townhallcom/status/2067042040005980587
"Gavin Newsom GIFTED a $3.7M mansion, POCKETED $2.7M cash-out refi tax-free, and Democrats say he's just TOO SMART to cheat. Do the math."
Anyone doing the GIFT/REFI/FOUNDATION SCAM in Lil Ole Santa Barbara?
They Stockholm Syndromed us. That is what we must fight. They are in fact the petty little man growling behind the curtain in the Land of Oz.
Cutting off their tax dollar crack is kryptonite. Shove Transparent California costs to taxpayers in the faces of every single government employee who dares complain.
I love Andy Caldwell. He gets it. It all stems back to the union’s power. That’s why California pensions are insane! Nobody on the planet gets that kind of money in retirement except for the extremely rare case. And the fact that ALL government works, including the universities, road maintenance and plumbers the unclog their toilets MUST BE UNION! The people must take back the government from these bad actors. They are Rich beyond belief and getting richer off of our tax dollars.
Taxes make government employees rich. Remember that when they howl …….…tax the rich.
In fact they are the ravenous plant on Little Shop Of Horrors howling…………feed me!
Transparent California website has a separate listing for government employee pensions.
Got any favorite names out of the past like former city or schools administrators, judges, first responders, teachers, professors, see how nicely we are proving in for their years of “public service”.
I read this article titled "Power Grab in Paradise" By James Fenkner, CFA
I quote from same "In a county where independent voices face media silence and institutional resistance, exposing the mechanics of control—patronage, force, and centralized ambition—remains the first step toward accountability. "
You see illegal and criminal activity BLOW THE WHISTLE on the Corrupt Leaders that is how
Governor Newsom has now got serious problems from a WHISTLEBLOWER>
https://x.com/WHLeavitt/status/2067081083343012132
Report FRAUD to the New Fraud Division of the DOJ. I am certain they would love to hear from all of you here in Corrupt CALI and Corrupt Santa Barbara
https://www.justice.gov/fraud/report-fraud
https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-new-department-of-justice-division-for-national-fraud-enforcement/
Howard Walther, Member of a Military Family
PS1- WHAT Got Newsom in Serious Trouble??? NEWSOM's FOUNDATIONS.
Any FOUNDATIONs in Santa Barbara!!! More than in any other Corrupt CALI County!!!
PS2 - Look here at SB Foundation "Mission Statement"
https://sbfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FINAL-Immigration-Donor-Guide.pdf
"The Santa Barbara Foundation is committed to creating a safe, thriving community for all. Our county is home to vibrant immigrant communities that are integral to our region's identity, economy, and culture. According to census data, as of July 2024, there were approximately 98,235 foreign born residents living in Santa Barbara County, or 22% of Santa Barbara County’s population."
Recent Noozhawk article. Non-profits make up 8.5% of our local workforce.
Many operating off taxpayer funded government grants. They are “concerned” about loss of taxpayer funded grant revenues under this administration.
In other words, these are not “charitable operations” operating only off public donations and good will. But extensions of the insider political favoritism funding stream, for partisan benefit.
Using taxpayer dollars to fund NPOs/ NGOs which are actually government operations needs to be outlawed but of course will not be. It’s the friends and family job security entitlement. When will taxpayers rise? Never. As Andy stated: “Influencing Republicans is like herding cats in a minefield of egos.”
Puncture Democrat operating mythologies.
1…. We have not had a raise in XYZ years. ….. yet a quick visit to Transparent California shows $20-30,000 raised costs to taxpayers for each of these complaining employees.
Taxpayers fund all increases in their health care benefits and pensions funding demands. These are called raises since the employees do not need to fund their increasing costs to tax payers.
2. They have been getting raises every year. Just not in their take home pay. Their unions control what health insurance plans are dumped on the taxpayers to fully fund. Union demanded blank checks handed to their chosen health insurance providers raises health care costs for the rest of us, in turn.
3. They get automatic COLA, so any Democrat policy inflation rolls off their backs since they automatically rise with the inflation tide.
4. They can get an immediate raise of over $1000 a year, just by opting out of their annual union membership. Freedom Foundation website guides them through the opt-out process.
5. They made the choice to work for the taxpayers. This is an unstable funding source. Hating America and capitalism, which feeds them, is self sabotage.
6. Government employment is not an entitlement. It is a partnership. Sabotaging tax revenues by their collective woke actions is counter productive. Not controlling internal waste, fraud and abuse is counterproductive.
7. Kicking us in the teeth with their snotty, Imperious, elitist attitudes is the most counterproductive of all. Looking at you, Laura Capps
Excellent James Our first mistake was allowing public sector employees to unionize. From that point on... they would, and continue to support the hand that feeds them, at the expense of those who pay for it. We, the taxpayers. Public employees already enjoy every benefit devised by government. Their unions' only purpose is to maintain the power of their benefactors.... the democrats. The rest of us are left holding the bag.... filled with poop.
Get Congress to outlaw public employee unionization. Also, support right to work laws.
When I worked on Don Regan's campaign we determined that
Guadalupe was 55:/ foreign born.
It seemd that district should be
A target for voter fraud investigation.
AJ: Are these Guadalupe residents foreign born ‘subject to the jurisdiction of’ city, Santa Barbara County, or state? Are they “a person” taxed, required to follow laws, subject to arrest? Research election law. If yes, there’s no prohibition against their voting.
For election law fraud, start by researching the US Constitution and court rulings. Only born or naturalized citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. Non-citizens voting in federal elections are ‘subject to felony’ prosecution. The Constitution addresses “citizens” as distinct from “persons”. How many CA voting non-citizens have been guilty of a felony: ZERO. How many “persons” vote? Hundreds of thousands including all those public school students registered in public school classrooms where it is against the law to ask citizenship status!
Eventually you’ll discover there’s no place in CA to report those unlawfully voting; no funding to pursue prosecutions; no explicit Congressional law prohibiting non-citizens from voting.
Our CA electoral system is worse than third world. For starters, CONGRESS MUST ACT to pass the SAVE Act.
Your observations are correct. Democrats and the teachers unions did the exact same thing about two decades ago, when the overly generous and badly underfunded public pensions were granted to state government employees. Their past is now our prologue.
About 20 years ago, teachers unions needed to bargain with hundreds of separate and relatively autonomous school districts, with independent elected boars of trustees. Voters had woken up to the ruinous defined-benefit public pension plans that had recently been put in place.
Two major statewide ballot propositions gathered enough signatures to put public pension reform on the ballot. The long range concerns about this looming public pension threat was an actuarial fact twenty years down the road. (Twenty years down the road is now today - it all came true)
The projected numbers proved government pensions would devour more and more tax dollars every year, once baby boomer employees started retiring. Then tax payers were on the hook paying for two government employees for every government job: the full pension for the one retiring and for that employee’s new replacement.
It did not take long for the teachers union to figure out what to do, about twenty years ago.
They could buy a lot fewer elected officials in the state legislature in Sacramento to keep getting favorable legislation, than having to battle for benefits at each of the state’s thousand of local and independently elected school boards.. So the teachers unions concentrated their power taking over the state legislature. And thus they did…….for the children.
Additionally, they started the great replacement of local school boards to put them also now fully in the grip of the teachers unions, to make sure they also marched to the orders coming out from the teacher union dominated state legislature. K-12 curriculum also became “woke” insuring a new generation of future Democrat Voters.
Prop 98 passed by voters in 1988, guaranteed a protected funding source for “public education.” The borders opened, classrooms were bulging due the rush of high-birth rate new undocumented state residents who were guaranteed 15 years of free public education for their own children. State internal population grew exponentially. Teacher unions had guaranteed job security. $1000 plus annual teacher union dues grew a massive political action war chest.
Teachers unions, along with CSEA unions for education staffers, were fat, happy, growing in numbers and powerful . Sacramento was fully in their hands. Union-friendly AG Kamala Harris was more than happy to sabotage the two public pension reform ballot propositions.
Power had been consolidated in Sacramento, local school boards became ceremonial only. And California public education dropped into the dismal nationwide ranking it finds itself today, and also riddled by the same grift and fraud now undermining all Democrat run government institutions.
Democrats, riding in on the teachers unions……….for the children……… locked up Sacramento, they locked up local school boards, the state school superintendent is their tool. Any and all attempts by reform candidates, so far have mysteriously disappeared after………the long counts.
Who did win this last race for state school superintendent?
Supervisor Roy Lee at least runs a private sector business and makes a darn fine walnut shrimp. Nepo-baby Princess Laura is a ridiculous role model, if anyone really cares about Santa Barbara county.
Up your game, Roy. Is your restaurant run by union employees telling you what to do? We don’t want the county run by the employee unions either.
In a recent SBCurrent Sunday article Andy Caldwell wrote how to “legalize opportunities for fraud. That is, one of the most basic opportunities for fraud is via ballot harvesting which breaks the chain of control of the ballot between the voter and the registrar of voters.” If a voter cannot make time to pre-register, cast and deliver his/her ballot, or request an absentee ballot, they are not prioritizing their civic duty, their responsibility.
I stop reading anything once I see something I need explained, particularly if it is derogatory. In describing the LA governor's race, there is a charge of "ballot harvesting." In what way? Please explain.
Yes, ballot harvesting (more precisely called “ballot collection”) is legal and actively practiced in Los Angeles elections.2
California law (Elections Code § 3017) allows any voter-designated person to return a completed mail (vote-by-mail or VBM) ballot on the voter’s behalf. This has been the case since AB 1921 took effect ahead of the 2018 elections, expanding beyond just family or household members.0
Key Rules and Restrictions
• The collector must be designated by the voter.
• No compensation based on the number of ballots returned (flat-rate pay for organizing or driving is generally allowed, but per-ballot bounties are illegal).
• The ballot must typically be returned within 3 days of receipt from the voter (or by Election Day).
• Tampering, coercion, non-delivery, or using misleading “unofficial” drop boxes that impersonate official ones is illegal and can result in fines or prison time.
• Both major parties, campaigns, unions, and community groups organize collection efforts.3
Los Angeles County follows state law and provides many official 24-hour VBM drop boxes and vote centers. Unofficial collection is common alongside these.
How Large Is It in LA Elections?
There is no precise public statistic breaking out exactly how many ballots in any given LA election are third-party collected versus personally dropped off or mailed by the voter. Election officials process received ballots the same way regardless of who delivers them, and they do not publish granular “harvested vs. non-harvested” data for privacy and administrative reasons.
However, the practice is significant in scale because:
• California (and LA County) has very high VBM usage. In the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary, LA County saw roughly 1.8+ million VBM ballots out of about 2.22 million total votes cast so far (with ~5.89 million registered voters and turnout around 37-38% in updates).44
• Large batches are routine. Historical examples from nearby Orange County (similar urban/suburban dynamics) include 250,000 mailed ballots turned in on Election Day, with individual collectors sometimes dropping off 100–200 at a time.16
• Organized collection contributes to the large “dumps” of ballots that arrive on or after Election Day. These delay full results for days or weeks and have been analyzed as sometimes shifting leads (late/post-Election Day VBM ballots have shown Democratic skew in some past cycles).24
In short, ballot collection is a standard, large-scale feature of the LA/CA mail-heavy voting system rather than a fringe activity. It is used aggressively by campaigns on both sides as a turnout tool.
Fraud Concerns and Current Context (2026)
Critics (including Republicans and some editorial boards) argue the system is vulnerable to coercion, ballot tampering, or selective non-delivery because one person can handle dozens or hundreds of ballots with limited real-time tracking.11
• The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles has active investigations into election fraud allegations tied to the recent LA-area voting, including monitoring the county’s ballot processing center.10
• Isolated incidents occur (e.g., a small number of ballots burned in one official drop box in late May 2026).32
• Overall rejection rates for VBM ballots remain low (around 1% in recent cycles), and officials emphasize signature verification and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Related probes have also looked at voter registration issues (e.g., at homeless shelters), separate from but sometimes conflated with harvesting claims.15
Bottom line: Ballot collection is legal, widespread, and contributes meaningfully to the volume of mail ballots in Los Angeles elections—especially in a county with millions of VBM ballots. Exact “harvested” numbers aren’t publicly tallied, but the practice is large enough to affect timing and, in very close races, final margins through organized batch deliveries. Oversight exists, investigations are ongoing where fraud is alleged, and both parties participate. For the most current official data on any specific LA race, check the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk site (lavote.gov) or the California Secretary of State.
When there are 500,000 government employees in this state, there is a lot of existential interest ensuring as many friendly ballots are collected as possible to chose who writes their paychecks and hands out their perks and pensions.
Mass last minute ballot dumps anre a calculated feature, meant to break the ballot verification system down. Even the media demanding faster results enhances the reckless verification process, controlled by the same unions, allowing more questionable harvested ballots get only a cursory pass.
What looks good on paper in the election code today is a total farce in practice. Ask anyone who volunteered on prior elections.
Democrats sold this farce as “enhancing voter participation”. Any objection to the infamously fraud riddled process was met immediately with the charge…….you are denying people their right to vote?
This is what we are up against, including “innocent questions” about the legality of ballot harvesting. On paper, or in practice? Two vastly different animals.
Only solution is the old way: same day in person voting at the polls and voter registration validation done well before Election Day. Election results within 24 hours. Absentee voting only under strict limitations.
Thank you for your explanation, that certainly is clear - and as long as it is constantly monitored to ensure these are valid, it is a great way to let working people vote. Those who can't get to the polls and are not trustworthy enough to get their mail in ballots to the polls in time. I can see where many or most of these voters would not be voting in a way that might favor the "elite" or "rich" in our community. Seems like the most of these would be from older, poor, or disabled folks, currently mostly Dems. Keep up the good work, we need to be monitored! Trust, but verify! Thank you again!
It opens the floodgates for all kinds of nonsense:
Like collecting ballots from skid row:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/california-woman-federally-charged-paying-individuals-including-homeless-people-las-skid-row
https://www.kcra.com/article/san-francisco-video-ballot-initiative-petition-collectors-fraud-investigation/70704462
Ballot Harvesting should not be legal. The entire intent is to collect ballots from people who wouldn't otherwise be voting. It couldn't be easier to vote in CA, if you can't get a ballot in your mailbox, then you can't do all of the things in life required to just function.
We don't need operative runners farming Universities and Skid Row. There's no way to monitor a system of this magnitude.
It is not monitored at all. What are you even talking about? None of the “restrictions” are even remotely enforceable. Sorry, but I smell a shill. Prove me wrong.
"• The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles has active investigations into election fraud allegations tied to the recent LA-area voting, including monitoring the county’s ballot processing center.10"
"• Overall rejection rates for VBM ballots remain low (around 1% in recent cycles), and officials emphasize signature verification and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Related probes have also looked at voter registration issues (e.g., at homeless shelters), separate from but sometimes conflated with harvesting claims.15"
"Investigating" not "monitoring" sorry, not sorry. As far as enforcing "restrictions" - would that be like asking djt to obey the law or the constitution or the congress or the courts?
Your media source? You are giving yourself away. Thanks for playing. This exchange/deflection is also part of the bigger picture. The stench lingers.
This is way beyond belief…
https://m.facebook.com/groups/902294411848605/permalink/1329736572437718/?mibextid=wwXIfr