In a disturbing escalation of election-related violence, incendiary devices were ignited at two ballot drop boxes in the Pacific Northwest on Monday, destroying hundreds of ballots and prompting authorities to increase security measures, The Associated Press reports.
The incidents come just a week before the upcoming midterm elections.
The first incident occurred in Portland, Oregon, where a fire suppression system and quick action by a security guard prevented significant damage. Only three ballots were damaged. However, hours later, a fire erupted at a drop box in Vancouver, Washington, the largest city in a congressional district expected to see a close race between Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.
Despite a fire suppression system, hundreds of ballots were destroyed in the Vancouver incident. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey, urging voters who had dropped ballots in the box after Saturday morning to contact his office for replacements, described the incident as a “direct attack on democracy.”
The county is taking immediate steps to increase security, including more frequent ballot collection, evening collection times, and 24-hour monitoring of all drop boxes by security personnel.
Authorities believe the two fires are connected and linked to an earlier incident in Vancouver where an incendiary device was placed at a drop box but did not cause damage. Surveillance footage in Portland shows a Volvo pulling up to a drop box shortly before the fire was discovered, providing authorities with a lead.
The attacks on ballot drop boxes are not isolated incidents. In Phoenix, Arizona, last week, a fire at a drop box at a US Postal Service station destroyed roughly five ballots and damaged others.
While some Republicans have criticized ballot drop boxes, the widespread use of these boxes in states like Washington and Oregon has been deemed safe and secure. Numerous studies, including an Associated Press survey of state election officials, have found no widespread issues with drop boxes and no evidence that they affected election results.
