Teacher says she discovered ballot box left behind at Florida polling site

A Florida teacher says she discovered a locked ballot box that was left behind at a polling site in Miramar.

Teacher Lakeisha Sorey told The Sun-Sentinel she came across the box on Thursday afternoon and said it was located in the same area at Sunshine Elementary School where voting had been held earlier this week.

Sorey said she was concerned the box, which was labeled “provisional ballots,” might have contained uncounted ballots and decided not to meddle with it.

“I didn’t want to touch it,” Sorey told the local paper.  

{mosads}Sorey said she also reportedly contacted her friend, state Rep. Shevrin Jones (D), who the newspaper noted was a close confidant of Tallahassee Mayor and Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (D), seeking help about the discovery.

Jones told the newspaper he contacted the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office after learning of the box and said he was told it was likely full of blank ballots.

However, Jones said he is unsure if anyone from the Elections Office has retrieved the box and is also worried it may contain ballots that have not been counted. 

“I was shocked about it,” he told the paper. “I don’t think you’d lock up extra ballot paper. I’m hoping someone will at least go verify and make sure there are no ballots inside the box.” 

The discovery has already begun to make the rounds on social media and has even captured the attention of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Apparently #BrowardCounty elections left behind a box labeled “Provisional Ballots” at a local elementary school that served as a polling place.

Just let that sink in for a moment. https://t.co/o1Gn7mxOzG

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 8, 2018

The report arrives as races for Senate and governor in Florida have tightened, raising the prospect that the two contests could be headed to a recount.

The Broward County Supervisor Of Elections Office did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.