In just a few days ahead of the presidential election in the United States of America, a recent incident has raised questions in the reliability in electoral process in the USA. Fires have destroyed hundreds of ballots at two separate ballot drop boxes in the Pacific Northwest, sparking an investigation to identify the individual behind the incidents.
The fires, one at a Portland drop box and another in Vancouver, Washington, have raised concerns as officials work to recover voter information from the damaged ballots.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey confirmed that workers are sifting through the affected ballots to retrieve voter details and reissue ballots where possible. While the Portland box suffered minimal damage thanks to an internal fire suppressant system, hundreds of ballots were lost in the Vancouver fire, Kimsey stated. These fires appear linked to a previous incident in Vancouver earlier this month.
USA: It’s a ballot box, burned to ashes…
Is this the reason why the Indian opposition prefers ballot papers over EVMs? pic.twitter.com/HkPz8FeyXJ
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) October 29, 2024
Hints Of ‘Free Gaza’
Investigators have discovered that incendiary devices at both sites were marked with “Free Gaza,” leading authorities to consider potential motives. Portland Police have referred devices for forensic analysis to search for any identifying markings, while the FBI, Vancouver Police, and other agencies are working to determine whether the acts are politically motivated or aimed at destabilizing the voting process.
This pattern of attacks is occurring amid heightened concerns about election security. A September bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security, accessed by watchdog group Property of the People, noted that ballot drop boxes might attract attention from individuals intent on sabotaging election processes. The bulletin also warned that domestic extremists with election-related grievances could view election infrastructure as a potential target.
Reacting to the attacks, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade emphasized the severity of such actions. “An attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy,” she asserted. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs echoed these sentiments, condemning any interference in lawful elections as an affront to democratic integrity.
The two incidents involved incendiary devices set off near ballot boxes. In Portland, police responded to the incident early Monday morning, extinguishing the fire before significant damage occurred. Later that morning, Vancouver Police discovered a smoking device next to a ballot box at a nearby bus station, where extensive damage to the ballots occurred.
Multnomah and Clark County officials reported that their ballot boxes are equipped with fire suppression features. In Portland, this safety measure helped limit the damage, with only a few ballots affected, according to Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott. However, in Vancouver, many ballots were damaged due to exposure to rainwater after crews extinguished the flames, complicating efforts to restore them.
In Oregon and Washington, mail-in and drop-off voting are the primary methods, with fewer than 1% of voters casting ballots in person. Clark County alone receives around 60% of its ballots through drop boxes, making them a critical component of the local voting infrastructure.
Drop boxes, which offer a convenient and secure way for voters to submit ballots, have come under scrutiny in recent years, with some states introducing legislation to limit or ban them. According to the Voting Rights Lab, 12 states have enacted such measures, with six implementing outright bans.
As the investigation continues, authorities are committed to safeguarding the integrity of the election process and ensuring that voters impacted by these incidents have the opportunity to re-cast their ballots.
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