Officials in southwest Washington state have recovered approximately 475 damaged ballots from a ballot drop box that was intentionally set on fire. Local police and the FBI are investigating the incident as an act of arson involving incendiary devices.
The damaged ballots, which are separate from an unknown number that were destroyed, are being searched through so that workers can contact the respective voters about getting a new ballot, Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said.
He said officials believe that the damaged ballots are in good enough condition to determine the appropriate voter information.
Incendiary devices destroyed hundreds of ballots at one ballot box in Vancouver, Washington, and damaged three ballots at another box in Portland, Oregon, on Monday morning in what Kimsey called “a direct attack on democracy” just days before Election Day.
Both ballot boxes were equipped with fire suppression systems, but the system inside the ballot box in Vancouver failed, causing more ballots to be destroyed.
Authorities have said investigators recovered enough material from the incendiary devices to link the two fires on Monday. The fires were also linked to an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.
The Portland Police Bureau released two surveillance photos of a black or dark-colored Volvo S-60 they believe is connected to the ballot box fires.
Officials are increasing the frequency at which the ballots are retrieved from ballot boxes and police will increase patrols around ballot drop box locations, he said.
Clark County Elections Office employees will also observe ballot boxes 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the election is over. The workers will not confront anyone, but will instead contact police if they spot anything suspicious.
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