Full Breakdown
Allegations of Paid Ballot Harvesting Among Los Angeles Homeless Voters
6/11/2026, 3:02:41 AM
Alleged Payments to Homeless Voters in the Mayoral Race
Video evidence from The California Post shows Skid Row residents receiving cash for ballots in the June 2 Los Angeles mayoral election. Kevin Shepherd said he negotiated $4 from an initial $2 offer to vote for Mayor Karen Bass; Rene Johnson reported a $5 payment for a Bass ballot; another resident mentioned “two bucks” for a vote. Participants said they were “just trying to make five bucks” and did not view the act as fraud.
Legal Framework for Ballot Harvesting
California law permits volunteers to collect completed mail-in ballots for drop boxes, a practice called ballot harvesting. The Los Angeles Democratic Socialists of America released a May 2022 guide, “How To: Ballot Delivery,” urging canvassers to repeatedly ask voters to submit ballots immediately. The practice is legal but contested.
Key Actors and Voter Registration Data
The main candidates are incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Nithya Raman, and independent Spencer Pratt. Records show 7,600 voters linked to homeless shelters. St. Joseph Center in Venice, which received a $600,000 grant while Raman chaired the Housing and Homelessness Committee, listed 185 voters. The Midnight Mission on Skid Row recorded 1,160 registrations despite having only 84 men and 36 women beds.
Federal Investigation Initiated
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced a federal probe, saying he will investigate the concerns raised by The Post and follow the evidence to determine whether any election laws were broken.
Criticism: Claims of Election Manipulation
Right-leaning commentary claims Raman’s late vote surge stemmed from systematic ballot harvesting at homeless shelters, labeling it “widespread voter registration and then ballot harvesting.” Spencer Pratt cited a 43,000-vote swing, matching the city’s homeless count, as evidence of irregularities.
Firsthand Accounts from Skid Row
Mark Sanchez said he received $4–$5 for signing petitions; another resident, Norman, reported long-standing registration drives that sometimes offered cigarettes as incentives.
Conflicting Reports and Unanswered Inquiries
The Bass and Raman campaigns declined comment, and Midnight Mission staff refused to discuss ballot handling. The Daily Wire attributes vote shifts to ballot harvesting, while investigative reporting emphasizes alleged cash payments, leaving no conclusive proof.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The revelations have prompted US Attorney Bill Essayli to say he will investigate the concerns uncovered by The Post and "follow the evidence" to see if the law has been broken.” — U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli
- “A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday … 43,000. Where have I seen that number before? Probably nothing.” — Spencer Pratt, mayoral candidate
Outlook: Ongoing Investigation
The federal probe will assess whether payments to homeless voters and irregular registration violate election law, potentially shaping future enforcement of ballot-harvesting rules in California.
