Hundreds of U.S. election ballots were destroyed in two vandalized drop boxes in Oregon and Washington states in what authorities believe are related incidents.
One of the boxes was targeted early Monday morning in Portland, Oregon, and a few hours later another box was targeted in Vancouver, Washington.
An incendiary device was attached to the outside of the box, and the FBI was called in to solve the case.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Greg Kimsey, elected auditor of Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver.
“This is a direct attack on democracy,” Kimsey told reporters.
Both boxes were equipped with fire extinguishing systems. But Kimsey said Vancouver’s polling stations do not appear to be functioning properly and were unable to prevent hundreds of ballots from being thrown away.
At a news conference in Portland, officials said they had recovered enough material from the incendiary devices to show Monday’s two fires were related.
They believe it is also connected to an incident on October 8, when an incendiary device was placed at another ballot box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in the incident.
Portland authorities believe only three ballots were destroyed in the attack.
The battle between Democrat Marie Grusenkamp Perez (left) and Republican Joe Kent (right) is frequently heated (Jenny Cain/AP Photo)
The race for Washington’s 3rd Congressional District is often heated.
With less than 10 days until voting day, the incident has sparked anxiety in many people and hope that it won’t happen again.
Vancouver is the largest community in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where Democrat Marie Grusenkamp Perez is trying to thwart a challenge from Republican Joe Kent.
Kent is a former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and is backed by Donald Trump.
The race for the seat, which Mr. Perez defeated Mr. Kent in 2022 by a margin of less than 3,000 votes, has often been heated.
Perez, who owns an auto repair business, says he is one of the few working-class members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mr. Perez, 36, and Mr. Kent, 44, both condemned the attack and vowed not to stop it.
Democrats said they requested police presence at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County until Election Day.
“Our democracy has no place for political violence or interference with our fellow citizens, election officials, or voting infrastructure,” she said in a statement.
“We hope that the perpetrators of this reprehensible act are quickly apprehended, and that local and federal law enforcement will do everything in their power to help keep our democratic process safe and secure.” I hope you will.”
She added: “Our right to vote must be protected under all circumstances. We cannot succumb to intimidation.”
Mr Kent urged supporters not to be intimidated and said this should not deter them from voting.
“I condemn these attacks on our democratic process, and I know that others here in Southwest Washington do as well,” he said in a video posted to X. Ta.
“I have full confidence that law enforcement will get to the bottom of this case. Stay focused.”
It was later reported that surveillance cameras had captured a Volvo parked at a drop box in Portland, moments before a nearby security guard spotted the fire inside the box.
“We will not tolerate acts of violence”
Ballot drop boxes have come under increasing criticism from Republicans and have become the focus of baseless conspiracy theories, coupled with former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
The boxes are designed to be tamper-proof and are often placed outdoors, such as election offices, libraries and other government buildings, for people to drop off their ballots.
Six Republican-majority states (Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and South Dakota) have banned its use since 2020.
Washington State Secretary of State Steve Hobbs’ office said Monday that if a returned ballot is not marked “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections office to replace it. announced that ballots are now available.
“We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine our democratic process,” Hobbs said.
“Despite this incident, I have full confidence in the ability of county election officials to keep Washington’s elections safe for all voters.”
