Police Return Election Ballots Stolen From Multiple Camas Mailboxes

Camas, WA — Julie Bonaci Scordino got a surprise visit from Camas Police Sunday morning, who handed her three voting ballots that had been stolen from her Parker Estates mailbox.

Officer Debra Riedl brought the soaked ballots, which had been found early Sunday morning — with other stolen mail — by a resident near Klickitat Park, the Camas Police said. In total, nine ballots were found and returned.

“They opened up every individual mailbox door and my neighbor got footage on her Ring at 5:30 on Sunday morning and the guy opened every single one,” said Scordino. “Our ballots were in there. The police said they were tossed out at a local park along with the mail from several other neighbors. The police said four community style mailboxes were broken into throughout the neighborhood.”

The police said they were contacted by neighbors and they viewed surveillance video of the possible suspect. 

“The suspect has not been identified at this time and the investigation is ongoing,” said Alisha Stevens, of the Camas Police. 

How did they open up the mailboxes? 

“They took a vice grip and put it on the locking mechanism to twist it,” said Scordino. “You can see marks on where they spun the locks on every single mailbox.”

Now, Scordino has to get new ballots from the Clark County Elections Office in downtown Vancouver. 

“They are all wet,” Scordino said. “To get new ballots we have to go there in person, or we can print them out from their website, but I’d rather get them replaced. They didn’t offer to mail us new ones. At least nine ballots that I know of were stolen. And, now our mailboxes cannot lock.”

Scordino received much attention Sunday when she posted about the theft on her Facebook page. Some of the response was quite negative, which surprised her.

“My intention is for people to watch out for their mail,” Scordino said. “I give major kudos to the Camas Police, it was well handled by them.”

The Camas Police said mail theft is not uncommon and Camas officers responded to similar calls several times a year.

“In general, the suspects are looking for mail items that can be used for financial gain (checks, credit cards, personal info that can be used for opening fake charge accounts),” said Stevens. “In these cases the unwanted mail is often dumped nearby, just as the ballots were in this case. Camas Police would like to remind citizens to be vigilant and observant, especially with the upcoming holiday season. Be aware of your mailbox and those of your neighbors. Immediately report any suspicious activity to the authorities.”