Box of Ballots Found on Florida Turnpike After Reported Truck Mishap

In a surprising incident that has raised questions about election security, a box containing hundreds of Miami-Dade County ballots was discovered on the side of Florida’s Turnpike after reportedly falling off an unsecured truck on Monday night.

The Miami-Dade Elections Department has since confirmed the incident and launched an investigation, with one employee already dismissed.

The ballots were found scattered along the roadway at Exit 11 near Cutler Bay, just outside Miami. Dashcam footage and cellphone videos captured by concerned citizens reveal the labeled boxes and envelopes lying across the asphalt.

These containers, complete with county barcodes and tracking documentation, were intended to ensure the secure transport of paper ballots. Instead, they were left vulnerable on the busy highway, prompting immediate concerns about election oversight.

A driver who noticed the abandoned ballots reportedly stopped and decided to take the box to a nearby county police station for safekeeping. His quick thinking and willingness to act prevented the ballots from being further damaged or potentially tampered with.

A video posted on social media has since circulated widely, with citizens expressing both relief and alarm over the mishap.

WATCH:

Last night, an individual came across a box full of ballots and other documents on exit 11 of the Turnpike, at the intersection of 211th St. in Cutler Bay. He immediately picked them up and took them to the police station, where they have been properly secured. No information yet… pic.twitter.com/HQP6glsm9b

— ONLY in DADE (@ONLYinDADE) October 29, 2024

Christina White, Miami-Dade County’s elections supervisor, confirmed the details of the incident in a statement on Tuesday. According to White, the oversight stemmed from an error by the county employee responsible for transporting the ballots. “The worker forgot to lock the back of the truck, and as they drove off, one sealed bin and one sealed bag fell out,” White stated.

White emphasized that both containers were found intact and sealed upon retrieval and that there is no evidence of tampering. The ballots in question had already been scanned and counted before the incident, she added, reassuring the public that the lost ballots would not impact election results.

“Upon arrival at the police department, election staff verified that all seals were intact, and nothing was tampered with or damaged,” White told The Miami Herald. She added that the Election Department extends its gratitude to “upstanding citizens” who acted quickly, ensuring that the ballots and documents were returned to authorities without delay.

While the incident was accidental, White has stressed that the Elections Department takes security seriously and maintains zero tolerance for error in ballot handling. The employee responsible for the oversight has been terminated.

“While unintentional, the Elections Department has zero tolerance for error, and therefore the employee was terminated,” White said.