Ballot boxes were set on fire early Monday morning in Portland Oregon and Vancouver, Washington.
Ballot boxes in Portland were bombed with a device that blew a small hole in the side of a metal container, according to police. Inside Vancouver ballot box set on fire, “device” found next to drop box by police.
Statement by Portland police:
Incendiary Device Found Inside Ballot Box
On Monday, October 28, 2024, at approximately 3:30 a.m., Central Precinct officers responded to a report of a fire at a ballot box in the 1000 block of South Morrison Street. By the time officers arrived, the fire had been extinguished by security personnel working in the area. Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to start the fire. PPB’s Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) responded to the scene and cleared the device.
The Portland Fire Investigation Unit also responded to the scene to investigate. This unit includes fire investigators with Portland Fire & Rescue, who are law enforcement officers, and detectives with the Portland Police Bureau. The collaboration uses the specialized training and skills needed to investigate fires, including analysis equipment and accelerometer detection dogs.
If anyone has information about this arson case, please contact Portland Police Detective Meredith Hopper at (email protected) or call the PF & R Fire Investigation Unit tip line, 503-823- FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.
Evan Bell with KATU-TV posted a video of the ballot burning from the Vancouver attack:
A Clark County Election ballot box at Fisher’s Landing Transit Center was set on fire this morning. Clark Co. Auditor Greg Kimsey said hundreds of ballots were inside at the time, the last pickup was at 11AM on Saturday. Full story here https://t.co/sYkz8ydEqH @KATUNews pic.twitter.com/a8vw0QXXoY
— Evan Bell (@evanbellKATU) October 28, 2024
KATU reports hundreds of ballots were burned and Vancouver police released a statement saying a device was found at the scene (excerpt):
Around 6:30 a.m., KATU captured footage of first responders dropping a stack of actively burning ballots on the ground, which continued to smolder and smoke heavily even after the fire was put out.
The Clark County election auditor told us that the last ballot pickup at the location is at 8 a.m. Sunday. Hundreds of ballots were inside when the fire blazed, and KATU was told only a few could be saved.
…Vancouver Police issued the following statement at 9 a.m.:
This morning at approximately 4:00 AM, Vancouver Police responded to an arson at a ballot box located at 3510 SE 164th Ave. It was reported that the ballot box was smoking and catching fire. Officers arrived and found a suspicious device next to the box. The ballot box is smoking and burning. Members of the Metro Explosive Disposal Unit (MEDU) arrived and safely collected the device, and the fire was extinguished. Detectives from the Vancouver Police Arson team and Vancouver Fire Marshals also responded.
The FBI is continuing its investigation into the incident.
Video report by KGW-TV:
Washington state Republican congressional candidate Joe Kent urged supporters to check the status of their ballots:
Check the status of your ballot (link below), ballot boxes were destroyed this weekend.https://t.co/INtYzQHgUN https://t.co/gNmu2bvCeO pic.twitter.com/K1KW4RHFHR
— Joe Kent for WA-3 (@joekent16jan19) October 28, 2024
The Washington Democratic Party also posted a sign:
https://t.co/mHHewJjxi5 pic.twitter.com/OrUCUYIkwl
– Washington Democrats (@washdems) October 28, 2024
A suspect was arrested last week for setting fire to a US Postal Service mailbox in Phoenix, Arizona that destroyed about twenty ballots. Reportedly, the suspect did it to be arrested, KRNV-TV reported.
