PORTLAND, Ore. — A ballot box in Southeast Portland and another in Vancouver were lit on fire early Monday morning. It's currently unclear whether the two incidents are connected. The ballot box fires happened about a week away from the Nov. 5 general election.
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 appears to have been 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.
KGW has reached out to Vancouver police for more information, but has not heard back yet.
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.
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.
This is a developing story and it may be updated when more information becomes available.