Ballot boxes set ablaze in Oregon and WA — burning hundreds of ballots, officials say

Ballot boxes set ablaze in Oregon and WA — burning hundreds of ballots, officials say

Hundreds of ballots were burned in fires at drop-off boxes in Oregon and Washington, officials said.

The first blaze was reported at about 3:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, in the 1000 block of Southeast Morrison Street in Portland, Oregon, according to a news release from the Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott.

Someone lit an incendiary device an explosive and put it in the ballot box, the Portland Police Bureau said in a news release.

Three ballots were damaged in the blaze, but the rest were protected thanks to fire suppressant in the box, Scott said.

Replacement ballots will be sent to the three voters.

All other ballots will still be counted for the upcoming election, Scott said.

Voters who dropped off their ballots between 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, and 3 a.m. Monday can contact election officials at 503-988-6826.

‘Suspicious device’ found near Vancouver ballot box

About 30 minutes later at 4 a.m., police in Vancouver, Washington, responded to a ballot box on fire at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, authorities said in a release.

Vancouver is about a 10-mile drive north of Portland.

A “suspicious device” was found next to the box, so authorities contacted an explosive disposal unit to remove the device, police said.

The fire was put out, but hundreds of ballots were ruined, OPB reported.

“It appears that a device was attached to the outside of the ballot drop box that resulted in the ballots being ignited,” Clark County auditor Greg Kimsey told The Oregonian.

The FBI is investigating both incidents. Anyone with information can contact the agency by making an online tip at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-225-5324.

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