A recent email obtained through a public records request has revealed a security incident involving a mail-in ballot drop box at Morgan State University in Baltimore. The incident, which occurred prior to April 2023, raised concerns about the integrity of the city’s election process.

According to an email sent by Baltimore City Elections Deputy Director Abigail Goldman, the security camera monitoring the drop box at Morgan State University went offline. When a security crew was dispatched to investigate, they discovered that bolts were missing from the camera setup.

Goldman initially attempted to keep this information out of written reports, stating in her email to the board president, “I will report it at the meeting but I did not want it in writing in the report.” This decision has sparked questions about transparency in the city’s election management.

When pressed for comment, Goldman clarified that the missing bolts were from the security camera monitoring the drop box, not from the ballot collection receptacle itself. She assured that there were “no integrity concerns related to these drop boxes” and that ballots were collected daily with unique seals applied each time the boxes were opened.

However, election integrity experts have expressed concern over the incident and its handling. Dr. Carah Ong Whaley, director of election protection at the nonpartisan group Issue One, emphasized the need for immediate investigation and transparency in such cases to maintain voter confidence.