Ballot box arsons destroy hundreds of ballots

Oregon law enforcement identified what they described as a suspect vehicle on Monday afternoon in connection with two fires set in ballot drop boxes earlier that morning. Photo surveillance caught a Volvo stopping at a drop box in Portland, Ore., at around 3:30 a.m. Monday, shortly before security personnel discovered a fire smoldering inside, according to the Portland Police Bureau. Only three ballots were affected in that incident, according to a statement by Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott. But 15 miles away, in Vancouver, Wash., another fire inside a drop box destroyed hundreds of ballots Monday morning. According to the Clark County elections auditor, the last pickup for that box was at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Drop boxes are equipped with a fire suppression system, but it did not deploy effectively in the case of the Vancouver fire.

What happens next? County election officials in Vancouver are urging voters to track the status of their ballots online. If they suspect their ballot was destroyed in the arson, they will be allowed to cast a replacement ballot. The FBI is also investigating both fires. In Oregon, the Multnomah County elections director said the three voters who cast the burned ballots will be contacted and receive replacement ballots.

What does this change? Washington and Oregon are some of the few states that conduct elections completely by mail. Voters return their ballots either by mail or by delivering them to drop boxes. A similar fire was set in Phoenix last week, and a local man was arrested and charged with arson. Vancouver is in Washington’s 3rd congressional district, which will have one of the closest U.S. House races this year between Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican Joe Kent. Gluesenkamp Perez released a statement Monday requesting overnight law enforcement security at all drop boxes through Election Day. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said his department will increase the frequency at which it picks up ballots from the drop boxes.

Dig deeper: Read WORLD’s Election Integrity Encyclopedia to learn more about the laws surrounding mail-in ballots and drop boxes.