PORTLAND, Ore. — Hundreds of ballots were destroyed in a ballot box fire in Vancouver early Monday morning, and another ballot box fire in Portland destroyed three ballots. The fires happened about a week away from the Nov. 5 general election.
Vancouver police officers responded around 4 a.m. Monday to a reported arson at a ballot box on Southeast 164th Avenue, near the Fisher's Landing Transit Depot. The officers found a "suspicious device" next to the ballot box, which was smoking and on fire, according to Vancouver police. A KGW crew saw flames and smoke coming from the ballot box around 6:30 a.m. The Metro Explosive Disposal Unit retrieved the device and the fire was extinguished, Vancouver police said.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey told KGW that hundreds of ballots were severely burned, many of which were destroyed. Kimsey said anyone who dropped off a ballot in that box after 11 a.m. on Saturday should contact the elections division at 564-397-2345 or elections@clark.wa.gov.
The Office of the Secretary of State in Washington said the Clark County Auditor's Office will "work diligently" to make sure any impacted voters receive replacement ballots before the Nov. 5 general election.
Voters should check their ballot status online at votewa.gov to track its return status. If a returned ballot is not marked as "received," voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local elections department for a replacement, the secretary of state's office said.
"We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process," said Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. "I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state. Despite this incident, I have complete confidence in our county elections official's ability to keep Washington's elections safe and secure for all voters."
Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. is the online and mail deadline to register to vote in Washington, but Nov. 5 is the in-person deadline.
Detectives from Vancouver police's arson team and the Vancouver Fire Marshals also responded to the fire Monday morning, and the FBI is investigating.
Ballot box in Portland lit on fire
Around 3:30 a.m. Monday, security at the Multnomah County Elections Division notified Portland police that they responded to a fire at a nearby ballot box on Southeast Morrison Street. Security personnel extinguished the fire before officers arrived. Portland police determined an "incendiary device" was put inside the ballot box to ignite the fire. The bureau's Explosive Disposal Unit removed the device.
A fire suppressant inside the ballot box helped protect the ballots, according to Multnomah County, and only three ballots were damaged. The elections division will contact the three voters so they can receive replacement ballots.
No other ballot boxes or official drop sites in Multnomah County were affected, and the Multnomah County Elections Division Building is open as normal.
"We have multiple systems and security measures in place to ensure your ballot is safe,'' said Elections Director Tim Scott in a news release.
People who have concerns who dropped their ballot off at the box between 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 and at 3 a.m. on Oct. 18 should call 503-988-6826. Anyone who sees suspicious activity around an ballot box is asked to call 911.
Portland police and the Portland Fire Investigations Unit are investigating the arson case in Southeast Portland. The Portland Fire Investigations Unit includes a police detective and fire investigators with Portland Fire & Rescue who are sworn law enforcement officers.
Anyone with information about the ballot box fire in Southeast Portland is asked to contact detective Meredith Hopper at Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov, or call the Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigation Unit's tip line at 503-823-3473 and reference case no. 24-276181.