Ballot Drop Boxes Set on Fire in Oregon and Washington, FBI Launches Investigation

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The FBI is investigating two separate incidents in the Portland, Oregon, area after ballot drop boxes were set on fire early Monday. In Vancouver, a small city in Washington state just across the Columbia River from Portland, hundreds of ballots were damaged when a device was placed on the exterior of a drop box and ignited. Meanwhile, an incendiary device was placed inside a ballot drop box in the southeast part of Portland, damaging three ballots. Law enforcement officials say the incidents appear connected, as they are "very similar" to an earlier failed attempt to ignite a ballot box in Vancouver on October 8.

Breaking — Ballot Drop Boxes set on fire in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

Police said explosive devices were placed inside the boxes early Monday morning.

Hundreds of ballots have been burned 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ZObySwogox

— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) October 28, 2024

 

Ballot drop boxes are used in numerous U.S. cities and states to provide voters with a convenient way to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Concerns over ballot box security, however, have been heightened recently. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning in September about potential sabotage and destruction of these boxes, spurred by incendiary comments circulating on social media.

 

The ballots from the Vancouver drop box were last collected on Saturday morning, and voters who deposited their ballots over the weekend were encouraged to contact the local elections office. Greg Kimsey, Vancouver's election supervisor, said that the damaged box has been replaced and that officials are attempting to recover and identify as many ballots as possible that may have been affected by the fire. “We hope these are isolated incidents that don’t occur again,” Kimsey said. To prevent further disruptions, police announced an increase in patrols near ballot drop boxes.

 

Local authorities in Portland are also working to reach out to the three voters whose ballots were damaged in the Portland incident, ensuring that they will be provided with replacement ballots. Police have released images of a vehicle they believe may be connected to the incidents—a dark-colored Volvo, which they hope will lead to further information about the suspects involved.

 

Oregon and Washington are generally considered safe Democratic states in national elections; however, there is a close congressional race in Washington’s 3rd District, which includes Vancouver and the surrounding rural areas. This district seat is held by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who narrowly defeated Republican Joe Kent by less than 1% in the 2022 election. The two are set for a rematch in the upcoming election, adding tension to this district’s vote.

 

The incidents in Oregon and Washington mirror a similar case in Phoenix, Arizona, where a man recently set fire to a U.S. post box containing around 20 ballots. According to court records, the man, who is homeless, claimed his actions were not politically motivated; he said he intended to commit a minor offense to secure shelter in jail. However, unlike the Arizona incident, which involved a general post box, the ballot drop boxes in Portland and Vancouver were solely designated for voting purposes.

 

Washington’s Secretary of State Steven Hobbs condemned the attacks in a statement, affirming, “We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process.” Although authorities have not yet identified those responsible, both the Portland and Vancouver police departments are actively investigating, and the FBI is pursuing leads to ensure accountability and maintain election integrity as the nation heads into the critical final days before Election Day.

 

Based on a report from the BBC 2024-10-29