Ballots left exposed at Los Angeles homeless shelter prompt federal inquiry

A federal inquiry has been launched after hundreds of election ballots were discovered left exposed in a hallway at a Los Angeles homeless shelter. The New York Post reported that an investigation found the unsecured ballots piled in an open hallway at The Midnight Mission, a facility located in the Skid Row neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles. [1]

According to the New York Post, the Midnight Mission provides meals and mail services, and 1,160 voters are currently registered at the location. The outlet reported that it authenticated a photograph of the ballots and independently confirmed the scene during a visit to the shelter on October 13, 2026. [1]

The discovery follows an earlier investigation by the California Post four months prior, which revealed 7,600 voter registrations connected to homeless shelters and service providers across Los Angeles. A skid row refers to an impoverished urban area whose residents are predominantly poor or experiencing homelessness. [1][3]