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Lodi, Calif. – October 14, 2020 – Registrars of Voters at county governments throughout California are alerting voters about fraudulent ballot collection receptacles being placed by unauthorized individuals around California.
On Sunday, the office of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued a memo telling registrars the unofficial boxes were illegal and ballots must be mailed or brought to official voting locations. “In short, providing unauthorized, non-official vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes is prohibited by state law,” Padilla wrote.
In the City of Lodi, City Clerk Jennifer Cusmir said October 13 that no such incidents had been confirmed by the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, but there had been inquires made to the City Clerk’s office regarding the locations of official ballot drop boxes. “Registered voters need to make sure they place their signed mail-in ballot into an official San Joaquin County drop box,” Cusmir said. “If a voter is unable to return their ballot in person, they may designate someone they know and trust by completing the form on the ballot return envelope.”
There are four official drop boxes in the City of Lodi, all of which are located indoors, where voters can conveniently deposit their ballot:
- Lodi City Hall, 221 W. Pine St., Lodi
Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Closed Oct. 23 - Robinson’s Feed Co., 1150 E. Victor Rd., Lodi
8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. 7 days a week - Van Ruiten Family Winery, 340 W. Highway 12, Lodi
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 7 day a week - De Vinci’s Delicatessen and Catering, 220 Church St., Lodi
Monday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
The official ballot drop boxes at Robinson’s Feed Co., Van Ruiten Family Winery, and De Vinci’s Delicatessen and Catering are metal and the official drop box located at City Hall is white with a blue top and red corners. The San Joaquin County seal is affixed to the side of all four boxes. Visit the City’s website www.lodi.gov or the Lodi City Hall Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CityofLodi/, to view photographs of the official drop boxes.
In addition to dropping off ballots at one of the official drop box locations or using U.S. mail, voters may use a ballot drop box or vote in-person at one of the four Voter Service Centers that will be open October 31 through November 3. The list of Voter Service Centers and hours of operation are found on www.sjgov.org/department/rov/.
If voters need assistance, they may contact the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters at 209-468-8683 or the Lodi City Clerk’s Office at 209-333-6702.
City Hall Ballot Drop Box
Robinson’s Feed Co., Van Ruiten Family Winery, and De Vinci’s Delicatessen and Catering Ballot Drop Box
Press Release [PDF]