9:55 AM (Eve Batey): SFPD has sent a press release announcing that the SF poll worker suspected of stealing ballots from a voting precinct yesterday has been arrested.
Karl Bradfield Nicholas, a 50 year old SF resident, was arrested at 1:21 this morning for the theft of election ballots and the “memory box,” which was reported stolen yesterday at the polling station in Knott Court.
According to SFPD, Nicholas is charged with 3 felonies – N/W 18568(e) Elections Code, N/W 18568 (f) EC and N/W 459 PC (burglary).
None of the stolen ballot items have been recovered, but SFPD spokesperson Lyn Tomioka warns that this is an ongoing SFPD investigation.
According to John Arntz, Director at SF Department of Elections, no more than 75 ballots were stolen, based on the preliminary audit that was conducted.
At present, Nicholas is being held in the county jail.
7:29 AM (Bay City News): An unknown number of ballots were stolen from a polling station near San Francisco’s Excelsior District late Tuesday afternoon, a police spokesman said.
At about 4:15 p.m., police received reports that an automatic ballot-counting machine had been broken into in the 100 block of Knott Court, Officer Albie Esparza said.
An unknown number of ballots were missing, and the machine’s memory pack had been taken, Esparza said.
Police believe a poll worker is responsible for the theft, he said. More information is expected to be available later today.
Janna Brancolini, Bay City News
