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Former USPS Worker Unloads 300 Ballots For A Surprising Reason
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Former USPS Worker Unloads 300 Ballots For A Surprising Reason

A former Utah postal worker was indicted on September 16 for dumping over 300 mail-in ballots in a church parking lot dumpster. He did not do it to rig an election or help a political party. Instead, he told investigators he threw them away simply because he was frustrated and lazy. This story proves that the biggest threat to your vote often comes from human error, not a grand conspiracy.

Damon Matai Seei, a 34-year-old from Payson, was arrested Tuesday and appeared in federal court in Salt Lake City. Fox News reports that prosecutors claim he served as a letter carrier on June 3, handling mail for over 300 residents of Eagle Mountain. The mail included hundreds of ballots that were clearly marked and ready to be counted. According to allegations, Seei isolated these ballots from the rest of the mail and threw them away in roughly an hour and a half.

Per NBC News, a government memo states Seei wanted to toss out advertisements to "lighten his workload" after feeling overwhelmed. This careless act happened just days before the June 23 primary election in Utah.


Several voters later complained to the Utah County Clerk that they never received their mail-in ballots. U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak said Tuesday that the clerk used county databases to find unusually low voter participation in the specific area where the complaints originated. The Washington Examiner notes that the complaints seemed focused on House District 50. It remains unclear whether these affected voters ever got replacement ballots or were able to vote at all.

Seei no longer works for the U.S. Postal Service and has entered a not guilty plea regarding the charge of destruction and delay of mail. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 30 at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse. The Washington Times reported that federal prosecutors announced these charges against the former mailman on Tuesday. These charges remain allegations, and Seei is considered innocent until proven guilty in court.

Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter used this announcement to highlight a broader focus on election crimes. He said the department is working to ensure elections are secure and that anyone violating that integrity will face justice. RedState quotes McCotter as saying, "Under President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, this Department of Justice is working to ensure that our elections are more secure than ever before." He added that anyone who commits a crime violating election integrity "will be brought to justice."

U.S. Attorney Holyoak emphasized that this case shows the importance of protecting the vote. She noted that roughly 95 percent of voters in Utah cast their ballots by mail, making the integrity of that process vital. According to Fox News, officials said Seei claimed he had no political motive when he destroyed the mail. This distinction matters because it shows that negligence can be just as damaging as malice.

Written by Arthur Higgens - September 23, 2026