In a troubling development just days before Election Day, ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington were targeted by arsonists, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of ballots. The incidents have sparked concerns about election security and voter suppression.
Early Monday morning, Portland police responded to a fire inside a ballot drop box, reportedly caused by an "incendiary device." While the box's fire suppression system protected most ballots, three were damaged. Hours later, a more severe incident occurred in Vancouver, Washington, where hundreds of ballots were destroyed when a drop box's fire suppression system failed.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey described the situation as "heartbreaking" and "a direct attack on democracy." Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are investigating both incidents, which officials believe may be connected.
Election officials in both states are urging voters who used these drop boxes over the weekend to contact their offices to ensure their votes are counted. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs condemned the acts as "terror" and reminded voters they can check online if their ballot has been received and print replacements if necessary.
The incidents have prompted calls for increased security measures. U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, facing a competitive race in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, has requested law enforcement to guard drop boxes in her district.
These events follow a separate incident in Arizona last week, where a man set fire to a USPS mailbox, though police stated it was not politically motivated.
Ballot drop boxes have been a subject of controversy and misinformation since the 2020 election. Max Read, a senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, warns that such incidents can be exploited to support false claims about election security.
Despite these concerning events, election experts emphasize that ballot drop boxes are generally secure, often featuring video surveillance and fire suppressants. They urge voters not to let isolated incidents undermine trust in these voting methods.
As of Monday afternoon, nearly three million votes had been cast across Washington, Oregon, and Arizona, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab. The recent attacks have affected only a small fraction of these votes, but their impact on voter confidence could be more far-reaching.