Authorities launched an investigation on Monday following early morning fires set in ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and nearby Vancouver, Washington, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of ballots.
The Portland Police Bureau reported that officers and firefighters responded to a fire in a ballot drop box around 3:30 a.m., discovering that an incendiary device had been placed inside.
Tim Scott, the Multnomah County Elections Director, stated that a fire suppression system within the box protected nearly all the ballots, with only three being damaged. The office plans to reach out to affected voters to help them secure replacement ballots.
A few hours later, a fire was also reported at a ballot box at a transit center in Vancouver, where smoke was seen pouring out.
Vancouver is the largest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which features a competitive race between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey revealed that while the ballot drop box at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center had a fire suppression system, it failed to operate effectively, leading to the loss of hundreds of ballots.
Kimsey described the incident as “heartbreaking,” calling it a direct attack on democracy. Surveillance cameras monitored the drop box and its surroundings.
Kimsey noted that the last ballot pickup at the transit center was at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and anyone who dropped their ballot there afterward should contact the auditor’s office for a replacement.
The office plans to increase the frequency of ballot collections and change collection times to the evening to prevent similar incidents from occurring when ballot boxes are full overnight.
An incendiary device was also discovered near a ballot drop box in downtown Vancouver on October 8, but it did not cause any damage. The FBI and other agencies are investigating.
Both Washington and Oregon conduct elections by mail, with registered voters receiving ballots weeks in advance to return by mail or in drop boxes.
In Phoenix last week, officials reported that a fire set in a drop box at a U.S. Postal Service station destroyed around five ballots and damaged others.
