Police in two separate states are investigating after fires were set at ballot boxes with just eight days to go before Election Day in what appears to be serious cases of attempted election interference.
In Portland, Oregon, police are investigating after a ballot box in Southeast Portland was lit on fire early Monday morning.
Officials responded to the fire around 3:30am. By the time they arrived, the fire had already been put out by security employees working in the area.
Meanwhile, flames and smoke were spotted early Monday morning coming out of a ballot box in Vancouver, Washington.
Authorities working to put out a fire at a ballot box in Vancouver, WA started early Monday morning. It was one of two fires set at two ballot boxes in two separate states early Monday
In Portland, police determined that an ‘incendiary device’ was put inside the ballot box starting the fire, according to local reports.
The local police explosive disposal unit cleared the device. Authorities have not said how many ballots were impacted.
In Vancouver, authorities said someone put a device outside the ballot box starting the fire. Members of the policy explosive disposal unit were called in to safely remove the device.
An image released by the Portland Police Bureau shows the ballot box after an ‘incendiary device’ was discovered inside the box starting a fire
The FBI is investigating, according to local police.
The Clark County elections auditor told a local station that the last time ballots were picked up there was around 11am on Saturday. Anyone who dropped off a ballot at the box after that could be impacted.
Hundreds of ballots were inside the ballot box at the time the fire was set, and only a few may be saved.
The fire burning at the ballot box in Vancouver, WA early Monday morning. Police say the fire was set by a device placed outside the ballot box which had hundreds of ballots in it at the time
Voters who dropped off their ballots and could be impacted are encouraged to reach out to their local election offices.
They could be eligible to fill out a provisional ballot to make sure their vote counts in such situations.
The two separate incidents come as election officials are raising concerns about voting security with Election Day only eight days away.
More than 43 million people have already voted either by person or mail in the 2024 election.
