The California Republican Party is refusing to comply with a cease-and-desist order to remove fraudulent, illegal ballot drop boxes that have sprung up around the state.

CNN reports: “The unauthorized ballot boxes, which state officials have called illegal, have been found in at least four counties across the state: Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and Fresno. ‘Ballot harvesting program will continue,’ California Republican Party spokesman Hector Barajas said in a statement to CNN. … The party made their intentions clear in a letter to the California Secretary of State on Wednesday. In the letter, attorneys for the state GOP say all of the ballot boxes deployed by the party are indoors, staffed by volunteers or party officials, secure and not labeled ‘official.’ While images of the ballot boxes have shown the boxes labeled as ‘official,’ the state GOP said it did not authorize the use of that term and had it removed.”

Jordan Tygh (above), a Regional Field Director for the Republican Party in Orange County, posted a tweet (since deleted) in which he promoted one of the boxes.

Said Tygh in the tweet, which was reviewed by the Washington Post before it was deleted: “Doing my part and voting early. DM me for convenient locations to drop your ballot off at!”

The Washington Post rep[orted: “Those containers, which were first reported by the Orange County Register and KCAL, are not county-authorized ballot drop-off sites. In fact, the unofficial boxes are against the law, state officials said Sunday. … Erecting or advertising unofficial ballot boxes could be a felony that carries a two-to-four year prison sentence, according to the secretary of state’s office. … Official ballot return locations are listed on the secretary of state’s website. But Republican leaders are encouraging voters to bring their completed ballots to unlisted sites equipped with the unofficial green boxes, at locations including smog checks and gas stations.”