By Gauri Patel
Staff Writer
Officials are investigating two incidents in which two ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington were set on fire, destroying or damaging hundreds of ballots.
The fires both occurred the morning of Oct. 28 and were started by the incendiary devices placed outside the ballot drop boxes.
Only three ballots were destroyed with the help of the fire suppression system inside the drop box and security, according to a statement from the Portland Police Bureau. By the time Portland Police officers responded to reports at about 3:30 a.m., the fire had been extinguished by security.
A few hours later at a bus station in Vancouver, another ballot box was set on fire, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Officers discovered a “suspicious device” on fire next to the box, which was safely collected.
According to Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey, the fire suppression system in the drop box failed to protect the hundreds of ballots within it, adding that voters who placed ballots in the box after 11 a.m. should contact his office to confirm the status of their ballots or request a replacement ballot.
"The majority of the ballots are completely destroyed and the remaining ballots are severely damaged and very very wet," Kimsey told NPR.
488 ballots were able to be retrieved from the drop box, however the exact number of destroyed ballots remains unknown, as they may have been burned to ash. 345 of those voters have requested replacement ballots, and election staff will mail the remaining 145 voters their ballots, according to The Associated Press.
The incidents in Portland and Vancouver appear to be carried out by the same man, described by police as an individual with a “wealth of experience” in metal fabrication and welding, according to The Associated Press. Evidence from incendiary devices at both scenes suggests the fires are connected and may also be linked to a previous incident on Oct. 8, when a similar device was placed at another Vancouver drop box. No ballots were damaged during that incident.
According to The Associated Press, both devices were marked with the words “Free Gaza,” while the device from the incident in Vancouver early this month was marked with two phrases,“Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza.”
Law enforcement in Multnomah County and Clark County plan to increase patrols of ballot boxes in the area. Multnomah County has hired private security officers to conduct patrols around the clock, monitoring all drop boxes throughout the area.
U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democratic candidate running for re-election in Washington's 3rd District, called for law enforcement presence guarding drop boxes overnight in Clark County through Election Day. Republican challenger Joe Kent also condemned the “cowardly act of terrorism,” according to NPR.
Election officials are committed to maintaining drop box access and securing locations to prevent interference or tampering, especially since states like Washington and Oregon vote exclusively by mail and drop box.
Ballot drop boxes have been targeted by conspiracy theories and false claims about their security since 2020, according to Max Read, a senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. He noted that incidents like recent arson attacks can fuel misinformation, despite the fact that drop boxes are typically well-secured, with video surveillance and fire safety measures in many locations. Read emphasizes that these are isolated incidents and that drop boxes remain secure.
"These drop boxes have been thought through and have these measures in place,” said Read. “And people should not allow these isolated incidents to undermine their trust in these voting methods, which are generally extremely secure.”
