Utah Postal Worker Indicted Over 300 Ballots

Damon Matai Seei, 34, of Payson, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 16, 2026, on a charge of unlawful secretion, destruction and delay of mail. The indictment, unsealed Sept. 22, alleges that on June 3, while a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, he discarded approximately 300 mail-in ballots meant for Eagle Mountain residents for the June 23 primary, throwing them with other mail into a dumpster in a church parking lot even though they were clearly marked as ballots. He was arrested, arraigned in Salt Lake City, and pleaded not guilty. His next court date is Nov. 30. Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter announced the case Tuesday, saying allegedly throwing away hundreds of ballots is a serious federal crime that undermines election integrity and that ballot integrity is not a partisan issue. The probe involves the Postal Service Office of Inspector General and Homeland Security Investigations and remains ongoing. CONTESTED: Officials have not identified a motive. Melissa Holyoak, U.S. attorney for Utah, said Seei indicated the alleged act was not politically motivated; she and other officials declined to discuss specific motivations.