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From the Associated Press: SEATTLE (AP) — Authorities were investigating Monday after early morning fires were set in ballot drop boxes in Portland, Oregon, and in nearby Vancouver, Washington, where hundreds of ballots were destroyed.
The Portland Police Bureau reported that officers and firefighters responded to a fire in one ballot drop box at about 3:30 a.m. and determined an incendiary device had been placed inside. Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said a fire suppressant inside the drop box protected nearly all the ballots; only three were damaged, and his office planned to contact those voters to help them obtain replacement ballots.
A few hours later, across the Columbia River in Vancouver, television crews captured footage of smoke pouring out of a ballot box at a transit center. Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be one of the closest U.S. House races in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey in Vancouver told The Associated Press that the ballot drop box at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center also had a fire suppression system inside, but for some reason it wasn’t effective. Responders pulled a burning pile of ballots from inside the box, and Kimsey said hundreds were lost.
KATU News photographer Evan Bell posted a video of officials raking the burning ballots from the box at at Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Vancouver.
The Clark County Elections ballot drop box at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center was lit on fire this morning. Clark Co. Auditor Greg Kimsey says hundreds of ballots were inside at the time, the last pickup being 11AM Saturday. Full story here https://t.co/sYkz8ydEqH @KATUNews pic.twitter.com/a8vw0QXXoY
— Evan Bell (@evanbellKATU) October 28, 2024
KATU reported:
The Clark County elections auditor told us that the last ballot pickup at that location was 11 a.m. Saturday. Hundreds of ballots were inside at the time of the burning, and KATU was told there were maybe only a few that could be saved.
Voters who dropped off ballots at that location after 11 a.m. Saturday need to contact the Election Auditor’s Office IMMEDIATELY for a new ballot.
Libs of TikTok posted the number for the Election Auditor’s Office. Anyone who has dropped off a ballot at that location after 11 a.m. Saturday should immediately call the office for a new ballot. 564.397.2345
Important message 👇🏻 https://t.co/PVvm5ND9K3
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) October 28, 2024
Thank you to the officers who responded & are investigating drop box arson in SE Portland. Those responsible must be held accountable. More info from Multnomah County’s Elections Director is available below.https://t.co/BUTa3l0RDi
Track your ballot here: https://t.co/28o3OvOXrC
— Lori Chavez-DeRemer – Text LORI to 78100 (@LChavezDeRemer) October 28, 2024
Early-morning fires wreck two ballot drop boxes in Portland area; hundreds of ballots destroyed https://t.co/eWUvXa8owC
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) October 28, 2024
WATCH the KATU News report below:
Just down the street from me. This is one of the most competitive districts in the House (and who I campaigned for/TV ads).
Last won by a few thousand votes…https://t.co/u8ucyqF3gP
— Brian Mistrot (@brian_mistrot) October 28, 2024
The DMLNewsApp just reported last week that several ballots were damaged after a USPS blue collection mailbox was lit on fire in Phoenix, Arizona.
REPORT: Ballots damaged after USPS mailbox fire in battleground state
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