Ballot Drop Boxes Attacked by Fire in Oregon and Washington

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents are conducting an inquiry following incidents where two ballot collection receptacles caught fire in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon, early Monday. In Vancouver, a smaller city in Washington state situated less than 10 miles (16km) from Portland, hundreds of ballots were incinerated. Local news outlets reported that a device had been affixed to the exterior of a ballot drop box there. Concurrently, in Portland’s southeastern sector, an incendiary device was placed inside a separate drop box, resulting in a minor blaze that damaged three ballots, as confirmed by officials. During a press conference held on Monday, law enforcement officials stated that the two occurrences were linked and bore a “very similar” resemblance to an unsuccessful attempt to ignite another ballot drop box in Vancouver on October 8. Dedicated ballot drop boxes are utilized across various US states and municipalities, enabling voters to cast their ballots ahead of time without needing to queue on Election Day. In September, the US Department of Homeland Security issued a caution, noting that some social media users had been advocating for the destruction and sabotage of these boxes in advance of the election. The last collection from the Vancouver box occurred on Saturday morning. Local authorities advised individuals who had deposited ballots since then to reach out to the local elections office. Greg Kimsey, the local official responsible for overseeing elections, confirmed that the damaged box has been replaced. Officials are working to identify as many ballots as possible that sustained damage in the fire. Kimsey informed the BBC that local police would increase their patrols around ballot drop boxes. He remarked, “We hope these are isolated incidents that don’t occur again.” Portland authorities indicated their efforts to contact the voters whose three ballots were damaged in that specific incident, to facilitate the issuance of replacement ballots. Police additionally released images of a vehicle, described as a dark-colored Volvo, which they asserted was connected to the incidents. While Oregon and Washington are considered reliably Democratic states in the presidential contest, the race for a congressional seat in Vancouver is competitive – a city distinct from its much larger Canadian namesake. Washington’s 3rd District encompasses Vancouver along with a substantial and predominantly rural area in the southern part of the state. The incumbent, Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, secured a narrow victory over Republican Joe Kent by less than 1% of the vote in 2022. Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent are slated for a rematch in the upcoming election next week. Police have not provided any information regarding the potential identity of those who may have planted the devices responsible for the ballot-box fires. The BBC has sought comments from authorities in both cities. Washington’s chief elections official, Secretary of State Steven Hobbs, issued a statement asserting: “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.” Last week, a man in Phoenix, Arizona, was charged with setting fire to a US post box containing approximately 20 ballots, according to court records. The man informed police that his actions were not politically motivated; he stated he was homeless and intended to commit a minor offense to be incarcerated. The Phoenix box was designated for general mail, whereas the boxes set ablaze in Portland and Vancouver were exclusively for ballots. With reporting by Sam Cabral.