Hundreds of ballots damaged after ballot box set on fire in Washington state: Officials

https://abcnews.go.com ^ | Oct 28, 2024 | Meredith Deliso, Chris Boccia, and Lucien Bruggeman

[Beowulf9]

Ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington were set on fire with incendiary devices early Monday in what authorities believe are connected incidents, police said.

The two arson incidents, which occurred near the Oregon-Washington border, are also believed to be connected to a third ballot box incident that occurred earlier this month in Vancouver, Washington, police said.

In the first reported incident on Monday, Portland police responded to a fire at a ballot box around 3:30 a.m. local time, police said. Security at the Multnomah County Elections Division responded and extinguished the fire, officials said.

[Beowulf9]

"Our officers quickly determined that there was an incendiary device that had been attached to the ballot box, and that is what ignited this fire," Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner said at a press briefing on Monday.

The bureau's explosive disposal unit cleared the device, police said.

Fire suppressant prevented further damage and protected "virtually all the ballots," though three were damaged, the Multnomah County Elections Division said in a press release.

Elections officials will contact the three impacted voters so they can receive replacement ballots, the division said.

"We have multiple systems and security measures in place to ensure your ballot is safe,'' Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said in a statement.

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said the limited impact to ballots "shows that our systems are safe and secure."

"Make no mistake, an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable," Griffin-Valade said in a statement. "Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters."

No other ballot boxes or official drop sites in Multnomah County were affected, the division said.

The Portland Fire Investigations Unit is investigating.

[Darksheare]

“there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise NONEXISTENT voters.”
Fixed it for him, what he means to say.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Dumpster fires are “wildly popular” this “election.”

[TornadoAlley3]

Maybe fire started to have them remove all the drop boxes immediately.

The boxes should be designed ATM style. Cameras. ID card. Voter ID number. Password.

[PeterPrinciple]

in what authorities believe are connected incidents,

---

usually we hear unrelated.................

[Twotone]

If you would like more information about what’s happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me. Please send me your name by FReepmail if you want to be on this list.

[blackdog]

Road flares. Light it and toss it down the slot. Magnesium burns super hot.

[BenLurkin]

Gee...who has a history of burning things in the coastal cities of the Pacific Northwest?

[rktman]

More here:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/4274050/posts

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4274040/posts

😊👍

[John123]

Gotta be antifa idiots trying to start a war. Both Washington and Oregon is overwhelmingly Democratic strongholds so really no point.

[wardamneagle]

Rats states anyway......

[SunStar]

Perhaps the idea of unattended ballot drop boxes was never a good one.

[Beowulf9]

How about drop boxes made out of metal or something that can’t burn.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

People are flippin’ INSANE!

Plan accordingly for you and yours. *SIGH*

[Darksheare]

But that makes too much sense, therefore they will put out more unattended drop boxes instead.

[Valpal1]

Exactly my thought. Pantyfa is just making trouble for troubles sake.

[sopo]

Reichstag fire stuff.

[cableguymn]

no problem roll the video of who did it..

what democrats fought to have the cameras removed?

oh well.

[Persevero]

Well they are quite vulnerable. Stupid to introduce these things if you ask me.

At least P.O. Boxes are fireproof.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

No problem. The elections officials will “cure” those burned ballots and make sure the people voted for the right candidate.