Thread by @johnmyers

New: @AGBecerra and @CASOSvote says @CAGOP agreed to no longer deploy "unstaffed, unsecured, unofficial and unauthorized" private ballot boxes.

@AGBecerra @CASOSvote @CAGOP Padilla: "The California Republican Party can conduct valid collection activities, but they have to play by the rules and follow state law."

Well, it sounds like state officials basically are OK with GOP assurances that they're securing the ballots.

"We are trying to make sure that the law is followed," says Becerra. "We're not going to mother, or shepherd them through every day of activity."

So it sounds like there's no kind of private drop box for ballots the state will allow, per @AGBecerra. "That is left to the county officials to do," Becerra says.

Or maybe not. Asked very clearly by @libdenk if ALL private boxes are illegal, Becerra says in press event, "Rather than trying to answer a hypothetical. Let me tell you that we continue our investigation."

On this now weeklong saga over GOP private dropboxes, we now have party and state elections officials talking past each other.

By state officials insisting that "unstaffed" drop boxes are illegal -- and with GOP saying the boxes *are* staffed -- we have, I think, status quo.

And yet, Padilla then again says: "only counties are authorized to provide valid drop boxes as an option for voters."

The effect, I think, of all of this, is to leave everyone angry. Republicans think they're being single out, Democrats likely angry the hammer's not coming down.