US: Officials confirm mail ballots left unattended near Minneapolis were secure

Minnesota [US], October 20 : Minneapolis-area officials have dismissed concerns over election security after an election worker left several boxes of mail-in ballots unattended outside an election office last Friday, local media reported.
The incident, which involved the worker's car parked at Edina City Hall with an open trunk containing nearly a dozen ballot boxes, drew scrutiny when images circulated on social media, particularly among local Republican Party officials and supporters of Donald Trump, who raised alarms about the integrity of mail-in voting, as per CNN .
In response to the incident, Hennepin County officials released a statement affirming that there was "no evidence of tampering" with the unattended ballots. They shared 18 minutes of surveillance footage on YouTube, demonstrating that no one interfered with the ballots while they were left unattended in the parking lot for approximately nine minutes.
On Saturday, county officials acknowledged the incident as a violation of protocol for transporting ballots from drop boxes to the election office and confirmed the termination of the employee involved, reported CNN.
"Hennepin County acknowledges that this lapse in protocol occurred, should not have happened, and is unacceptable. Corrective actions have been taken by the county and its courier to prevent any recurrence," the county stated.
They assured the public that the ballots were fully "accounted for" and that there was "no evidence of tampering" with the seals on the boxes. Officials further confirmed that all ballots remained "in sealed condition," indicating no attempts to alter or access the votes.
"Hennepin County is reinforcing its transfer protocols with county staff and vendors. An incident like this underscores the value of strong chain-of-custody processes, so that risk can be addressed and integrity can be verified," stated Hennepin County Auditor Daniel Rogan.
Experts emphasise that mail-in voting is secure, featuring paper trails and redundant safeguards against fraud, despite ongoing claims from Trump and others about widespread issues.
The ballots in question were not mailed; they had been left by voters at drop boxes for collection by election workers, CNN reported.
While Trump and Republicans have expressed strong opposition to drop boxes, citing potential fraud or manipulation risks during ballot transfer, experts clarify that isolated incidents of wrongdoing do not reflect a widespread problem in US elections. The drop boxes are typically secured with locks and monitored by surveillance cameras, with strict rules governing their use and the handling of ballots.