Numerous election ballots in the United States have been compromised due to the destruction of two drop boxes—one located in Oregon and the other in Washington state. Authorities suspect that these incidents are connected.
In the early hours of Monday, a box in Portland, Oregon was struck, and shortly thereafter, another one was hit in Vancouver, Washington.
Explosive devices were affixed to the exterior of the containers, prompting the involvement of the FBI in the investigation.
It’s truly distressing, remarked Greg Kimsey, the elected auditor for Clark County, Washington, home to Vancouver.
Kimsey informed reporters that it constitutes a blatant assault on democracy.
According to Kimsey, each box was equipped with a fire suppression system. However, the system in Vancouver seemingly malfunctioned, failing to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots.
During a press briefing in Portland, authorities announced that they had collected sufficient evidence from the explosive devices to establish a link between the two fires that occurred on Monday.
They think there is a connection to an event on October 8, where a fire-starting device was found at another ballot drop box in Vancouver. Fortunately, no ballots were harmed during that occurrence.
Authorities in Portland estimate that only three ballots were lost due to the attack.
The competition for Washington’s third congressional district is frequently intense.
Happening fewer than 10 days prior to Election Day, these events caused widespread concern among residents, along with a desire for them not to occur again.
Vancouver, the most populous area in Washington’s third congressional district, is where Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is working to fend off a challenge from Republican Joe Kent.
Kent, a former member of the US military’s Special Forces, has received support from Donald Trump.
The contest for the seat, which Perez narrowly secured by less than 3,000 votes against Kent in 2022, has frequently been contentious.
Perez operates a car repair business and claims to be one of the limited number of working-class representatives in the US House.
Both candidates—Perez, aged 36, and Kent, aged 44—have condemned the attacks and pledged to continue their campaigns without interruption.
The Democratic candidate mentioned that she had asked for police presence at all ballot drop-off locations in Clark County leading up to Election Day.
In a statement, she emphasized that our democracy has no tolerance for political violence or any form of interference directed at citizens, election officials, or the voting system.
She expressed hope that the individual responsible for this despicable act will be swiftly caught and affirmed her complete support for local and federal law enforcement in their efforts to maintain the integrity and security of our democratic process.
She also stressed that our voting rights must be safeguarded at all times and that we cannot succumb to threats.
Kent urged his followers to remain steadfast and not allow intimidation to discourage them from participating in elections.
He denounced these assaults on democracy, expressing confidence that others in southwest Washington share his sentiments in a video shared on X.
I completely trust our law enforcement agencies to uncover the truth behind this situation. Let’s remain attentive.
Subsequently, it was revealed that security footage recorded a Volvo arriving at the drop box in Portland just moments before nearby security staff found a fire inside it.
Will not accept any form of violence.
Republicans have raised significant concerns about ballot drop boxes, which have also become the subject of unfounded conspiracy theories linked to former President Donald Trump’s erroneous assertion that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
These secure boxes, intended to prevent tampering, are typically placed outside locations like election offices, libraries, and various government facilities for voters to submit their ballots.
Following the 2020 election, six states with Republican leadership—Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and South Dakota—prohibited their use.
On Monday, the office of Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs announced that voters whose returned ballots are not recorded as received have the option to either print a new ballot or go to their local elections office for a replacement.
Hobbs emphasized the importance of protecting election workers, stating that any threats or violent actions aimed at disrupting the democratic process will not be accepted.
He expressed unwavering trust in the capability of county election officials to ensure that elections in Washington remain safe and secure for every voter, despite this occurrence.