Over the past week, two ballot boxes and one USPS mailbox have been set on fire in three separate incidents in Arizona, Oregon and Washington.
Early on October 28, arson attacks targeted two polling stations located in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. This follows an incident on October 24 when a free-standing mailbox at the US Post Office in Phoenix, Arizona, was set on fire.
The attack comes amid rising tensions ahead of the 2024 presidential election on November 5 and following on from the contested 2020 presidential poll.
Donald Trump continues to insist the 2020 contest is rigged against him, even though this has been repeatedly denied by courts and independent election experts.
Over the past few months, Trump has targeted mail-in voting in particular with implausible allegations of vote fraud, branding him “corrupt” during events in Michigan and Pennsylvania. However, Trump’s team has also encouraged supporters to vote early, and earlier this month called for some restrictions on early voting and irrevocable ballots in areas of North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
Newsweek has provided a summary of the attack below along with a map showing the location, with the Washington and Oregon incidents appearing as one circle due to their proximity.
Phoenix, Arizona
The Phoenix Police Department said they were called just after 1:00 a.m. local time on October 24th to a mailbox that had been set on fire at 3900 North 7th Avenue.
Together with Phoenix Fire Department Arson Investigation Officers, police are investigating the blaze, securing the scene and reviewing relevant CCTV footage.
Police later arrested 35-year-old Dieter Klofkorn in connection with the incident. According to a statement released by the Phoenix police, Klofkorn “admitted to committing arson” but denied the act was politically motivated, saying he wanted to be imprisoned. The suspect was booked into jail “on one felony count of Arson of Property.”
Phoenix police initially said 20 ballots had been destroyed in the fire, though the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office later reduced that number to five, according to ABC News.
Responding to the incident in X Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said: “There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we are working with every level of government to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Portland, Oregon
At approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on Monday, the Portland Police Bureau was alerted to a fire at a Multnomah County ballot box located in the 1000 block of SE Morrison Street.
In a statement, Multnomah County said the fire was caused by an “incendiary device” and was being investigated by the Police Bureau’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty
Multnomah County said the fire suppressant protected most of the ballots, with only three damaged. These three will be contacted “via the unique identifier on the ballot envelope” to receive a replacement.
In a statement, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said: “Make no mistake, an attack on the ballot box is an attack on our democracy and is unacceptable. It undermines voting rights.”
Vancouver, Washington
Just hours after the Oregon incident, ballot boxes were set on fire in Vancouver, Washington, a small town about 10 miles from Portland.
The incident took place at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center with officials saying the fire started around 4 a.m., destroying several hundred ballots.
According to Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey, the box is equipped with a fire suppression system but unlike the one in Portland “it doesn’t look very good.”
In a press conference on Friday, the police said they believe that the Oregon and Washington arson attacks are connected, and noted that they were “very similar” to the failed attempt to burn another Vancouver ballot box that occurred on October 8.
In a statement, Washington Secretary of State Steven Hobbs, who is responsible for overseeing the state’s elections, said: “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.”
Police say they are looking for a dark-colored Volvo S60, model year 2001-2004, in connection with the Oregon and Washington attacks. Patrols have been stepped up around the ballot box site to prevent another incident.
