Vancouver Ballot Box Arson Destroys Hundreds of Ballots

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VANCOUVER, Wash.– A fire ignited by an incendiary device burned hundreds of ballots in a Washington ballot drop box early Monday morning. Around 4:30 am, Vancouver police extinguished the fire in a drop box located near Fisher’s Landing Transit Center. 

A video from local ABC affiliate KATU shows officers raking embers of burning paper out of the box. This is one of two instances of ballot box tampering that have occurred in the southern Washington city. 

On October 8, police recovered a similar incendiary device from a drop box in downtown Vancouver. However, no ballots were inside at the time since Washington ballots were not distributed until October 18. 

The city has asked that voters who dropped off a ballot in the drop box after 11 a.m.a on Saturday reach out to the Election Auditor’s office immediately for a replacement ballot. Additionally, the Vancouver Police Department has handed the investigation over to the FBI.

“The FBI is coordinating with federal, state and local partners to actively investigate the two incidents in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, in the early morning hours of Monday, October 28th to determine who is responsible.” 

Portland incident

Law enforcement and city officials are linking the two incidents in Vancouver to a similar act of arson 15 minutes south in Portland, Oregon.

At 3:30 am Monday, the Multnomah County Elections Division security personnel reported a fire at a nearby ballot drop box. Local police discovered an incendiary device had started the fire. It’s unclear if the device is the same as those uncovered from the Vancouver incidents.

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“We have multiple systems and security measures in place to ensure your ballot is safe,’’ said Elections Director Tim Scott. “Your Elections team is working hard to make sure that every vote counts.”  Scott also said the county has contracted a private security company to patrol local ballot boxes.

Portland officials are asking that voters who used the SE Belmont ballot box between Saturday and Monday contact Elections at 503-988-6826 if they have any concerns. 

Election interference at Vancouver ballot box

Election boards and law enforcement agencies have been on high alert throughout the 2024 election process. Some fears stem from cases of interference perpetrated by Russia in the 2016 presidential election, while others are concerned about possible terrorist attacks. 

One highly publicized instance was a foiled attempt by an Afghan national to commit an election-day terrorist attack. Authorities arrested Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, on October 7 for his alleged role in planning an attack and obtaining weapons and ammunition on behalf of the extremist group ISIS.

Law enforcement also identified and arrested a juvenile Afghan citizen with legal resident status as a co-conspirator. Both suspects were living in Oklahoma at the time of their capture. 

“We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.

“I am deeply grateful to the public servants of the FBI, National Security Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma for their work to disrupt this attack and for the work they do every day to protect our country.”