Ballot Boxes Set On Fire In Oregon and Washington

(Cupventi.com) – The FBI has launched an investigation following two alarming incidents of ballot drop box fires in the Portland, Oregon area early Monday morning. One incident took place in Vancouver, Washington, a small city less than ten miles from Portland, while another occurred in the southeast region of Portland itself.

In Vancouver, hundreds of ballots were destroyed in a fire caused by an incendiary device that had been attached to the outside of a ballot drop box. Local media reported that the device was deliberately placed to ignite the box and sabotage the ballots contained within. Meanwhile, in Portland, an incendiary device was inserted into a drop box, causing a smaller fire that damaged three ballots, according to officials.

Authorities believe the two incidents are connected. During a press conference on Monday, law enforcement officials stated that these events bore a resemblance to an earlier attempt to set fire to another ballot drop box in Vancouver on October 8th, which had fortunately been unsuccessful. “These incidents are very similar, and we believe they may be linked,” the police spokesperson said.

Dedicated ballot drop boxes are an important tool used by voters across various U.S. states and cities, providing the option to submit ballots early without needing to endure long lines on Election Day. The latest events have raised concerns about the safety and integrity of this critical part of the electoral process. In September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had warned of potential threats targeting ballot drop boxes, with some social media users promoting acts of destruction and sabotage.

Vancouver officials noted that the last collection of ballots from the damaged box had occurred on Saturday morning. Since then, those who deposited ballots in the box are being urged to contact the local elections office to confirm whether their ballots were impacted. Greg Kimsey, the official overseeing elections in Vancouver, emphasized that steps are being taken to address the issue. “The damaged drop box has been replaced, and we are actively working to identify as many damaged ballots as possible,” he stated. To reassure residents, Kimsey added that local police will increase patrols around ballot drop boxes. “We hope these are isolated incidents that do not occur again,” he said.

In Portland, similar efforts are being undertaken. Local authorities are working to contact the voters whose three ballots were affected by the fire, with the intent of issuing replacements. Police in Portland have also released images of a car believed to be linked to the incidents, described as a dark-colored Volvo, and are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the vehicle.

The two states where these incidents occurred, Oregon and Washington, are generally considered safe Democratic strongholds in the ongoing presidential race. However, there is a hotly contested congressional race in Washington’s 3rd District, which encompasses Vancouver and a significant portion of southern Washington state. This seat is currently held by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who narrowly defeated Republican Joe Kent in the 2022 election by a margin of less than one percent. The upcoming election is a rematch between Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent, making the stakes high in this closely contested district.

As of now, there have been no arrests, and authorities have not identified any suspects responsible for the incendiary devices. The investigation is ongoing, and law enforcement agencies from both Portland and Vancouver are collaborating to gather more information. The BBC reached out to officials in both cities for comment, but no further updates have been provided at this time.

Washington Secretary of State Steven Hobbs, the chief elections official, issued a strong statement condemning the attacks on the ballot drop boxes. “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,” Hobbs said.

This is not the only recent incident involving attempts to sabotage ballots. Last week, a man in Phoenix, Arizona, was charged with setting a post box on fire that contained around 20 ballots. According to court records, the individual, who was homeless, stated that his actions were not politically motivated and that he had intended to commit a minor crime in order to be sent to jail. While the Phoenix post box was intended for general mail rather than exclusively for ballots, it further highlights a concerning trend of attacks on infrastructure related to the voting process.

The ballot drop boxes that were set ablaze in Portland and Vancouver are intended solely for election ballots. Election officials are now left scrambling to ensure that those affected can still have their votes counted and that voters can have confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. In a time of heightened political tension and polarization, such acts of violence and sabotage add an unwelcome strain to an already challenging election period.