Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker in Utah has been indicted after allegedly discarding over 300 mail-in ballots meant for the June primary election, according to the Department of Justice. Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, was charged by a federal grand jury on Monday, September 16, with unlawful secretion, destruction, and delay of mail. He was arrested Tuesday (September 23) and appeared in federal court in Salt Lake City.
The indictment alleges that Seei, while covering a route in Eagle Mountain on June 3, separated hundreds of mail-in ballots from other mail at the start of his shift and dumped them in a church parking lot dumpster about 90 minutes later. Officials say the ballots were clearly marked and intended for voters ahead of Utah’s June 23 primary.
Several residents contacted the Utah County Clerk after not receiving their ballots. Using county databases, officials noted unusually low voter participation in the affected area, according to U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah. "In Utah, over 95% of voters rely on mail-in ballots to exercise their right to vote... But when defendant allegedly tossed the mail-in ballots into a parking lot dumpster, those citizens' right to vote were also thrown away," Holyoak said.
Federal prosecutors say Seei admitted to discarding the mail to "lighten his workload," explaining the volume was heavier than normal. He claimed he had no political motive and described his actions as driven by frustration and laziness.
The discarded ballots were on their way to voters, not completed ballots being returned for counting. Investigators did not recover the ballots, and it is still unclear if affected voters were able to cast ballots by other means. Officials are continuing outreach to those voters.
Seei, who no longer works for USPS, pleaded not guilty and faces up to five years in prison if convicted. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 30, in Salt Lake City. The case remains under investigation by the USPS Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations.
Utah’s top election official, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, urged voters to track their mail ballots online and praised the investigation, saying, "Those Utahns' right to vote was thrown away when their ballots were tossed in the trash."