Ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington were set on fire early Monday, police in both states said.
It is unclear whether the two wildfire incidents near the Oregon-Washington border are related.
Authorities respond to a fire at a ballot box in Portland, Oregon on October 28, 2024.
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In the first reported incident, a ballot box in Portland, Oregon, was set on fire with an incendiary device, police said.
Portland police reported a fire at a ballot box around 3:30 a.m. Monday. Multnomah County Division of Elections security responded and extinguished the fire, officials said.
“Officers determined that an incendiary device had been placed inside the ballot box and used to start the fire,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.
The office’s explosives disposal unit cleared the device, police said.
Police said an incendiary device was placed inside a ballot box in Portland, Oregon on October 28, 2024.
Portland Police Bureau
The fire extinguisher prevented further damage and protected “all the ballots,” although three were damaged, the Multnomah County Division of Elections said. press release.
Election officials will contact the three affected voters to receive replacement ballots, the division said.
“We have multiple systems and security measures in place to ensure your vote is safe,” Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said in a statement.
No other ballot boxes or official locations in Multnomah County were damaged, the division said.
The Portland Fire Investigation Unit is investigating.
Half an hour later, around 4 a.m. local time, officers in Vancouver, Washington, responded to a report of a burning and burning ballot box.
“Officers arrived and found a suspicious device near the box,” the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities respond to a fire at a ballot box in Vancouver, Washington on October 28, 2024.
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The fire was extinguished, and members of Metro’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit safely recovered the device, police said.
The damage to the votes is not clear.
The FBI is investigating the incident, police said.
