FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Spokane, Wash. – This morning, at approximately 4 a.m., a Vancouver ballot box located at Fisher’s Landing Transit Center was set ablaze with an incendiary device. The explosion not only damaged the ballot box but also destroyed ballots that were awaiting pickup from the Clark County Auditor's Office.

I strongly condemn this act of domestic terrorism and fully support law enforcement in their efforts to apprehend and prosecute the individuals responsible to the fullest extent of the law. The citizens of Washington deserve elections that are both safe and secure. The current Secretary of State’s response to this incident has been weak and unacceptable, which is consistent with his other acts of lawlessness and demonstrates his ongoing ineffectiveness in his role.

The Secretary of State must take immediate action by deploying any and all available resources to collaborate with the Clark County Auditor. They should:

• Issue letters to registered voters in Clark County informing them of the incident.

• Specify when the incident occurred and work with law-enforcement to find the actors.

• Advise voters to contact the Clark County Auditor's office or utilize www.votewa.gov to confirm their ballot was received if they used that particular drop box.

Deferring full responsibility to the Clark County Auditor's office, which has limited resources, is negligent and should be seen as election interference from the Secretary of State’s office. This action reflects yet again the complacency and ineffectiveness of Steve Hobbs in securing our elections.

Furthermore, as I have advocated since announcing my candidacy for Secretary of State, we need to treat our ballot boxes with the same level of security as our banks: they must be secured and under 24/7 camera surveillance.