Utah Election Takes Fresh Turn as Postal Worker Faces Ballot Disposal Charge

A former U.S. Postal Service worker in Utah has been indicted after allegedly throwing away about 300 mail-in ballots that he was assigned to deliver to voters during the state’s June primary.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, Utah, was arrested on Tuesday and appeared in federal court in Salt Lake City following the unsealing of the indictment. He faces a federal charge involving the unlawful secretion, destruction and delay of mail.

According to court documents, Seei was working as a letter carrier on June 3 when he was entrusted with mail for at least 300 residents in Eagle Mountain, including advertisements and mail-in ballots for the June 23 primary.

Prosecutors allege that Seei placed some of the mail in a dumpster at a church parking lot instead of delivering it. The discarded mail included hundreds of ballots intended for registered voters.

Prosecutors Cite Workload

U.S. Attorney for Utah Melissa Holyoak said Seei told investigators that he did not have a political motive for discarding the mail.

According to court documents, Seei said he felt overwhelmed by the amount of mail he had to deliver and wanted to reduce his workload. Prosecutors allege that he had separated the ballots from other mail earlier in his shift, making his explanation that he did not realise the ballots were among the discarded items a matter of dispute.

The Justice Department said Seei is no longer employed by the Postal Service. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations.

Voters Reported Missing Ballots

The case came to light after Eagle Mountain residents contacted Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson to report that their expected ballots had not arrived.

According to prosecutors, Davidson noticed that voter participation in the area appeared unusually low and learned through outreach that hundreds of voters had not received their ballots.

Utah automatically sends ballots to active registered voters under its current system. A new state law is scheduled to end automatic mailings in 2029 and require voters to opt in.

Case Remains Pending

Seei has pleaded not guilty, according to the court proceedings reported Tuesday. If convicted under the federal mail statute, he could face up to five years in prison.

His next court appearance is scheduled for November 30. The Justice Department stressed that the indictment contains allegations and that Seei is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case comes as U.S. authorities continue to investigate and prosecute alleged violations involving election-related mail and voting. The outcome of Seei’s case will ultimately depend on the federal court proceedings.