Two ballot boxes set ablaze by incendiary, suspicious devices in Portland, Vancouver; 100s of ballots destroyed
PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — 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, just over a week before the general election.
. It's currently unclear whether the two incidents are connected.
Portland police officers responded around 3:30 a.m. to reports of a fire at a ballot box on Southeast Morrison Street. Security personnel who work in the area had 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 ballot box in Vancouver also was lit on fire. Around 6:30 a.m., a KGW crew saw flames and smoke coming from the box near the Fisher's Landing Transit Depot near Southeast 162nd Avenue. Vancouver police officers were at the scene. Buses and routes are not impacted, but police closed off the northern section of the parking lot.
Around 4 a.m., Vancouver Police said they responded to an arson at a ballot box located at 3510 SE 164th Ave. It was reported that the ballot box was smoking and on fire.
Officers arrived and located a suspicious device next to the box. The ballot box was smoking and was on fire. Members of the Metro Explosive Disposal Unit (MEDU) arrived and safely collected the device, and the fire was extinguished. Detectives from the Vancouver Police Arson team and the Vancouver Fire Marshals also responded.
The FBI is continuing the investigation of this incident, police said.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey told KGW that hundreds of ballots were severely burned, and 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
