A voter alerted the elections office, whose staff went to the park to collect the mail, according to Kendall Hodson, the agency’s chief of staff. King County Elections reported the incident to the U.S. Postal Service for investigation.

The affected voters have already been sent replacement ballots, Hodson said. The discovery raises a practical concern for voters awaiting ballots, though Hodson said ballot security also relies on checks after ballots are returned: election officials verify a voter’s signature and whether that voter has already submitted a ballot.

Hodson said discarded ballots are sometimes found after mail theft during major elections, and that law enforcement partners have indicated ballots are generally not the target of such theft.

King County voters who have not received a ballot can call the elections office at 206-296-8683 to ask about a replacement. People who find ballots in an unexpected location can email elections@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-VOTE; officials ask them to share a photo and details about where the ballots were found, if possible.