PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Authorities are investigating the theft of ballots cast in a special legislative election in Florida's Panhandle.
Two safes containing early-voting and absentee ballots for the Florida House District 2 special election were stolen over the weekend from the South Santa Rosa Service Center.
The Santa Rosa elections supervisor told the Pensacola News Journal that a total of 35 ballots were missing.
An employee discovered that the safes were missing Monday morning. Election Day is Tuesday.
Voters are electing someone to fill out the term of the late Rep. Clay Ford, who died in March after a battle with cancer.
The election pits Republican Mike Hill against Democrat Jeremy Lau in the GOP-leaning district. If elected Hill would become the lone black Republican in the Florida Legislature.
