VANCOUVER, Wash. — Approximately 475 ballots that were damaged have been recovered from a ballot drop box that was set on fire early Monday morning in southwest Washington, according to local election officials. The Clark County Auditor, Greg Kimsey, stated that election workers will begin examining these damaged ballots on Wednesday to extract voter information. This process aims to reach out to the affected voters for the issuance of replacement ballots. Kimsey expressed optimism that despite the damage, the essential voter information will still be retrievable from the ballots.
The extent of damage includes ballots that may have been completely destroyed, which are believed to be in a separate category from the ones that have been salvaged, according to Kimsey. Authorities reported that incendiary devices caused significant damage and destruction to ballots at the Vancouver drop box, while three other ballots were also damaged at a box in Portland, Oregon. This incident has been condemned by federal, state, and local officials as a direct assault on the democratic process, especially with Election Day approaching.
Law enforcement has indicated that sufficient material from the incendiary devices was collected, allowing them to connect these events to a related fire incident that occurred on October 8 at another ballot drop box in Vancouver, which fortunately did not result in any ballot damage. Surveillance footage revealed that a Volvo was seen arriving at the Portland drop box shortly before security personnel detected a fire inside. The incendiary devices had been affixed to the exterior of the ballot boxes.
An investigation is currently underway, involving multiple agencies, including the FBI. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman and Greg Austin, who is acting as the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Seattle office, issued a joint statement confirming their commitment to investigate the fires comprehensively and ensure that those responsible are held “fully accountable.”
As of Tuesday evening, there have been no arrests related to these incidents. The fire in Portland was rapidly extinguished, thanks to an internal suppression system and the prompt action of a nearby security guard. Several hours later, however, another fire was discovered at a drop box located at a transit center in Vancouver. This area is critical as it is home to one of the most competitive U.S. House races in the country, with Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez facing off against Republican candidate Joe Kent in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District.
Although the ballot box in Vancouver was also equipped with a fire suppression system, it was ineffective in preventing significant destruction of the ballots, as noted by Kimsey. He has urged voters who deposited their ballots in the transit center box after 11 a.m. on Saturday to reach out to his office to obtain replacement ballots.
To enhance security and minimize the risk of future incidents, Kimsey announced that his office will increase the frequency of ballot collections and adjust collection times to evening hours. These changes are intended to reduce the likelihood of ballot boxes remaining full overnight, a period when such criminal activities are perceived to be more probable. In response, officials in at least two additional counties in Washington, including King County, which encompasses Seattle, declared plans to inspect ballot drop boxes more frequently leading up to Election Day.
