A drop-off ballot box in a competitive Washington state House district went up in flames early Monday after an incendiary device went off, destroying hundreds of ballots, local officials estimated.
First responders managed to put out the flames and officials were assessing how many votes were lost in the drop box located at a park-and-ride near Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Vancouver, across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore.
“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 Oregon Live.
“We don’t have the exact number [of ballots], but it was hundreds,” Kimsey added
Kimsey told The Post that the most recent ballot pickup from the box had taken place Saturday at 11 a.m.
“Anyone who deposited ballots after 11:00 Saturday morning should contact us immediately,” he said. “Our team will replace their ballot.”
Vancouver is the largest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, which is hosting a fiercely competitive contest between incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) and Republican Joe Kent.
Perez defeated Kent by fewer than 3,000 votes two years ago and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the rematch as a “toss-up” race.
Across the river, the Portland Police Bureau responded to a ballot box fire around 3:30 a.m. Monday.
“By the time officers arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by security personnel who work in the area. Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to ignite the fire,” PPB explained in a statement.
At this point, officials are unsure whether the two incidents are related.
The Post reached out to Clark County, the Vancouver Police Department and the Washington Secretary of State’s Office for comment.
https://nypost.com/2024/10/28/us-news/explosive-device-burns-ballot-box-destroying-hundreds-of-votes-in-competitive-washington-state-house-district/
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