EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UTAH — Damon Matai Seei, a former U.S. Postal Service worker, was charged with discarding more than 300 mail-in ballots intended for voters in the June primary election. The 34-year-old faces one count of unlawful secretion, destruction and delay of mail following an investigation into the missing ballots.

The alleged incident occurred on or around June 3 in Eagle Mountain, Utah. Seei threw the ballots and other mail into a dumpster in a church parking lot shortly after his shift began. U.S. Marshals arrested Seei on Tuesday morning. He appeared in federal court in Salt Lake City for arraignment later that day and entered a not guilty plea.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter addressed the charges at a news conference, confirming the arrest and arraignment. He emphasized the nonpartisan nature of the offense.

"Election integrity, which includes ballot integrity, by the way, should be a nonpartisan issue," McCotter said. He added that the security of the voting process relies on the proper handling of every ballot.

"The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election, but the actions of even one malicious actor on the ground can fatally undercut that security," McCotter said.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah Melissa Holyoak provided details on how the scheme unfolded. She stated that Seei set the ballots aside within 90 minutes of starting his shift and did not deliver any of them. Investigators did not recover the ballots because the crime was not discovered until much later, she said. Prosecutors stated in court records that Seei admitted he threw away the mail to lighten his workload so he could go home earlier.

A government memo stated Seei told investigators he wanted to toss out advertisements to lighten his workload after feeling overwhelmed. She stated that Seei indicated to authorities there was no political agenda behind his actions. Seei is no longer employed by the U.S. Postal Service. His next court date is scheduled for November 30.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms the alleged incident occurred on or around June 3 in Eagle Mountain, Utah. She stated that several voters complained about never receiving their mail-in ballots, and county clerks determined voter participation was remarkably low in the area where residents complained about missing ballots.

She stated that investigators did not recover the ballots because the crime was not discovered until much later. Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson stated she was grateful the Department of Justice takes cases of denying lawful voting seriously. Over 95% of voters in Utah rely on mail-in ballots, and Seei is no longer employed by the U.S. Postal Service. Seei's next court date is scheduled for November 30.

Why It Matters

The case shows the reliance on mail-in voting in Utah, where over 95% of voters cast ballots by mail. Nationwide, nearly a third of voters use mail-in ballots, making the integrity of the postal system critical to election administration. Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated the state's mail-in ballot system has tremendous security measures in place. Officials stated the investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the full scope of the discarded mail and its impact on the primary election results.