US elections 2024: Fires at ballot drop boxes being probed, say officials

Federal authorities are investigating the incidents of fire at two ballot drop boxes in the Portland area of Oregon, as well as the incident of a second fire in the nearby Vancouver area of Washington, as reported by CNN.

The Portland Police Bureau stated that officers responded to the fire in Oregon around 3:30 am (local time) on Monday at a ballot box where an "incendiary device" had been placed. Security personnel quickly extinguished the flames.

Steve Bernd, a spokesperson for the FBI's Seattle office, said the federal officials are examining these incidents along with the help of state and local law enforcement.

 

Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott confirmed that fire suppression systems inside the box protected nearly all ballots, although three were damaged. Officials will contact those voters using unique identifiers on their ballot envelopes to provide replacement ballots, as reported by CNN.

Voters who submitted their ballots between 3:30 pm Saturday and 3 pm Monday should reach out to the Multnomah County Elections Division if they have concerns, Scott stated.

Scott reassured voters that even if their ballots were in the affected box, their votes would still be counted.

"Voters should be assured that even if their ballots were in the affected box, their votes will be counted," he said.

In Vancouver, the other ballot box was set on fire at a bus station early Monday, as per the Vancouver Police Department.

The department discovered a "suspicious device" next to the burning box. The Clark County Elections Office stated that hundreds of ballots were affected, CNN reported.

Laura Shepard, spokeswoman for Vancouver, advised anyone who deposited a ballot in that box after 11 am on Saturday to verify the status of their ballot.

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs condemned the incidents, acknowledging that some ballots were damaged and highlighting the importance of safety for election workers. He denounced any actions that threaten the electoral process and expressed confidence in local election officials to ensure safe and secure elections in Washington.

"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.

"I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington State... Despite this incident, I have complete confidence in our county election officials' ability to keep Washington's elections safe and secure for all voters," he added.

The two ballot boxes are located about 15 miles apart. The Vancouver box is situated in a highly contested congressional district represented by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who is facing a rematch against Republican Joe Kent, endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

According to CNN, there have been recent reports of similar incidents, including a mailbox outside a post office in Phoenix that was set on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots.

A 35-year-old man has been charged with arson in that case, claiming it was not politically motivated, the Phoneix Police Department stated.

These fires occurred following an FBI and Department of Homeland Security bulletin warning that "election-related grievances," such as beliefs in voter fraud, could incite domestic extremists to commit violence in the lead-up to and following the November elections.