Law enforcement officials in the Pacific Northwest are investigating a pair of Monday morning fires at ballot drop boxes that have heightened concerns about illegal efforts to interfere with the November 5 elections.
One fire occurred around 3:30 am Pacific time on Southeast Morrison Street in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Police Bureau explained that "by the time officers arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by security personnel who work in the area. Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to ignite the fire."
Multnomah County noted in a separate statement that "fire suppressant inside the ballot box protected virtually all the ballots," and the three voters whose ballots were damaged will be contacted by officials so they can receive replacements.
"Make no mistake, an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable," declared Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. "Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters."
Griffin-Valade, a Democrat, commended the Multnomah County Elections Division, thanked first responders, and stressed that the few impacted voters are being contacted, which "shows that our systems are safe and secure."
However, the other fire at Fisher's Landing Transit Center in Vancouver, Washington damaged up to hundreds of ballots. Clark County election officials are urging anyone who dropped off a ballot there after 11:00 am Pacific time on Saturday to contact them.
This year, at the national level, voters are set to choose the next president—Republican former President Donald Trump or Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris—and which party controls each chamber of Congress. There is a tight congressional contest in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, which includes Vancouver.
Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, is seeking a second term as the district's representative. Her Republican challenger is the same as the last cycle: Joe Kent.
In response to the apparent arson, Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman pointed out on social media that "in 2022, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) only beat Joe Kent (R) here by 2,629 votes. The rematch is a toss-up."
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, stressed Monday that "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."
"I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state," he added. "Despite this incident, I have complete confidence in our county elections officials' ability to keep Washington's elections safe and secure for all voters."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that it "is coordinating with federal, state, and local partners to actively investigate the two incidents" and "anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest FBI office, provide information through tips.fbi.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324)."
As CNNreported Monday:
Last week, a mailbox outside a Phoenix post office was set on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots. A 35-year-old man was charged with arson in connection with the incident. The Phoenix Police Department said he told them it was not politically motivated.
The fires come after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security recently issued a bulletin raising concerns [about] "election-related grievances," such as a belief in voter fraud, could motivate domestic extremists to engage in violence in the weeks before and after the November election.
In the intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN, the agencies said some domestic violent extremists likely see publicly accessible locations, including ballot drop boxes, as "attractive targets."
Throughout this cycle, Democrats and other Trump critics have expressed concern that the Republican nominee will refuse to accept defeat if Harris wins, emphasizing that after his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden, he launched a series of unsuccessful legal challenges and incited the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump's campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sunday night further stoked such fears. Kathleen Belew, a Northwestern University associate professor of history who studies the U.S. white supremacist movement, asserted that at the event, "fascism is on full display, openly: no dog whistles, no plausible deniability."
The blazes at the ballot boxes sparked similar concerns. Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith said that "this is... spoiler alert... the Succession finale, itself drawn from nightmare election scenarios drawn up by wonks."
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Jessica Corbett is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.
