A fake voting center was apparently set up in California — and even handed out 'I Voted' stickers


Officials in Orange County, California, are investigating reports that on Tuesday, a fake voting center was set up in the city of Westminster.
The site allegedly accepted ballots and even distributed "I Voted" stickers, the Los Angeles Times reports. An organizer for the OCForBlackLives group said in a video on Twitter that while patrolling neighborhoods for voter fraud, an activist saw a handmade "Vote Here" sign at a building and watched as people walked in with their ballots and left with "I Voted" stickers. The Orange County Registrar of Voters confirmed that it was not an official polling site, and the agency and the district attorney's office are investigating.
The Times reports that the purported polling center was at an address listed as the headquarters of Apogee International. Apogee is a skincare company owned by the vice mayor of Westminster, Dr. Kimberly Ho, who is running for re-election. The Times called Apogee, and the man who answered the phone said the address was Ho's campaign headquarters. He would not comment on the fake voting site reports, only saying, "You need to talk with the lawyer."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The lawyer, Van Tran, told the Times people did go there to drop off their ballots, but then claimed the campaign was only helping "advise" them on how to vote. A video was shot at the location that showed boxes, and Tran claimed they held empty ballot envelopes and not ballots. "It's a false controversy that the opponents are creating," Tran told the Times. "There is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that any illegality is happening."
Activists who stood outside of the office building told the Times that wasn't the case, with Justin Frazier of the Clarity O.C. organizations saying, "I don't even know who [Ho's] opponent is."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
'Crony capitalism is a sharp break from free market ideals'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
August 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Friday’s political cartoons include thought replacement tools, the opposite of woke, and more
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein
-
Judge halts GOP defunding of Planned Parenthood
Speed Read The Trump administration can't withhold Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, said the ruling
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians