Ballot boxes set ablaze in Oregon and WA — burning hundreds of ballots, officials say
Hundreds of ballots were burned in fires at drop-off boxes in Oregon and Washington, officials said.
Police believe the incidents are connected to one dark-colored vehicle, the Portland Police Bureau said in an Oct. 28 news release.
The first blaze was reported at about 3:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, in the 1000 block of Southeast Morrison Street in Portland, Oregon, according to a news release from the Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott.
Someone lit an incendiary device — an explosive — and attached it to the side of the box, police said in the release.
Three ballots were damaged in the blaze, but the rest were protected thanks to fire suppressant in the box, Scott said.
Replacement ballots will be sent to the three voters.
All other ballots will still be counted for the upcoming election, Scott said.
Voters who dropped off their ballots between 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, and 3 a.m. Monday can contact election officials at 503-988-6826.
‘Suspicious device’ found near Vancouver ballot box
About 30 minutes later at 4 a.m., police in Vancouver, Washington, responded to a ballot box on fire at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, authorities said in a release.
Vancouver is about a 10-mile drive north of Portland.
A “suspicious device” was found next to the box, so authorities contacted an explosive disposal unit to remove the device, police said.
The fire was put out, but hundreds of ballots were ruined, OPB reported.
“It appears that a device was attached to the outside of the ballot drop box that resulted in the ballots being ignited,” Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey told The Oregonian.
The vehicle is a black or dark-colored 2001 to 2004 Volvo S-60 without a front license plate, police said. Officials said they don’t know the back license plate.
“We don’t know the motive behind these acts,” Portland Police Bureau Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said in the relase. “We do know acts like this are targeted and their intentional and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process. We’re dedicated to stopping this kind of behavior.”
The FBI is investigating both incidents. Anyone with information can contact the agency by making an online tip at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-225-5324.
This story was originally published October 28, 2024 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Ballot boxes set ablaze in Oregon and WA — burning hundreds of ballots, officials say."
