As Election Day approaches, troubling incidents have occurred in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Incendiary devices were used to ignite ballot drop boxes, damaging hundreds of ballots in the process. These attacks happened on Monday and are being investigated as connected events. Officials have condemned them as direct threats to democracy.
In Vancouver, hundreds of ballots were destroyed when the fire suppression system in a drop box malfunctioned. In contrast, only three ballots were damaged in Portland, according to Oregon’s Multnomah County Elections Division, because the fire was quickly put out due to an effective suppression system inside the box and the prompt response of a nearby security guard.
Greg Kimsey, the Clark County Auditor in Washington, stated that the situation was “heartbreaking” and an “attack on democracy.” To prevent further incidents from occurring, election officials are taking steps to enhance ballot security. Kimsey shared that his office will be collecting ballots more often and will also be collecting them in the evening to reduce the number of ballots left in drop boxes overnight.
According to AP News, authorities in Portland suspect that the recent attacks are not isolated. Officials noted that a similar attack had occurred earlier this month in Vancouver, where an incendiary device was found at another ballot drop box, though it did not damage any ballots. Investigators have determined that all three incidents are linked, based on evidence collected from the scenes.
In response to the attacks, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat representing Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, has called for law enforcement to guard drop boxes in her district. Her Republican opponent, Joe Kent, described the fire as “a cowardly act of domestic terrorism” and urged voters to not be deterred.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is currently involved in the investigation. Surveillance footage from the incident in Portland shows a Volvo approaching the drop box just before the fire was discovered, which could provide a valuable lead for the investigators.
Election officials in both states are urging voters who may have used the affected ballot drop boxes over the weekend to contact their local election offices to ensure their votes are counted. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs reminded voters that they can check online to see if their ballot has been marked as returned and can print replacement ballots or cast one in person if necessary.
