In what investigators believe are related instances, ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington were set on fire with incendiary devices early Monday, according to police.
According to authorities, a third vote box incident that happened earlier this month in Vancouver, Washington, is thought to be related to the two arson events that happened close to the Oregon-Washington border.
Around 3:30 a.m. local time on Monday, Portland police responded to a fire at a vote box in the first incident that was reported, according to the police. According to officials, security at the Multnomah County Elections Division arrived and put out the fire.
At a news briefing on Monday, Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner stated, “Our officers immediately determined that there was an incendiary device that had been attached to the ballot box, and that is what ignited this fire.”
According to authorities, the device was cleared by the bureau’s explosive disposal squad.
Multnomah County Elections Division claimed in a press statement that fire suppressant shielded “virtually all the ballots,” despite the fact that three were damaged.
According to election officials, the three affected voters will be contacted to obtain new ballots.
Thanks to the fire suppressant, 409 ballots inside the ballot box “were undamaged” and kept, Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott told ABC News.
The minimal effect on ballots, according to Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, “shows that our systems are safe and secure.”
“Make no mistake,” Griffin-Valade said in a statement, “an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable.” “Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters.”
According to the division, there were no impacted ballot boxes or official drop locations in Multnomah County.
The investigation is being conducted by the Portland Fire Investigations Unit.
Officers in Vancouver, Washington, responded to a report of a burning and smoldering vote box approximately 30 minutes later, at 4 a.m. local time, according to the police.
According to a statement from the Vancouver Police Department, “Officers arrived and located a suspicious device next to the box,” which was on fire.
According to authorities, the Metro Explosive Disposal Unit securely retrieved the device once the fire was put out.
At the press briefing, Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey stated that “hundreds” of ballots are thought to have been damaged on Monday, though an exact figure has not yet been established.
Ballot drop boxes in the county also had fire suppression devices installed, but Kimsey stated that they’re going to try to get better fire suppression devices because they don’t seem to have performed effectively.
According to officials, the Clark County Auditor’s Office will endeavor to guarantee that affected voters receive replacement ballots in a timely manner.
In a statement, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs stated, “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.” “Any acts of terror intended to interfere with legitimate and fair elections in the state of Washington are severely condemned by me. I have total faith in our county elections official’s abilities to ensure that all voters in Washington enjoy a safe and secure election experience, even in light of this occurrence.”
At the press briefing, Vancouver interim Police Chief Troy Price noted that Monday’s incident is comparable to one that happened on October 8 in Vancouver, where a ballot box was smoldering and on fire with a “device” next to it.
“We do believe the incident here [in Portland] is connected to the two incidents in Vancouver,” Benner stated.
According to Benner, police have located a potential Volvo that was seen on security tape close to the Portland vote box.
According to Portland Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan, a motivation is still unknown.
At Monday’s press briefing, she stated, “We do know that acts like this are targeted and they’re intentional, and we’re concerned about that intentional act trying to affect the election process.” “We’re dedicated to stopping that kind of behavior, and we’re working toward that today.”
The instances are also being looked into by the FBI “to determine who is responsible,” according to an agency official.
Governor Tina Kotek of Portland praised the “rapid response” of electoral officials and law police.
“Voter intimidation or any criminal act to undermine the upcoming election is un-American & will not be tolerated,” she wrote in a statement posted on X.
Votes are returned by mail or at a designated drop box in a number of states, including Oregon and Washington. Voting centers in Washington are also open to receive ballots.
