Someone used an incendiary device early Monday morning to ignite a ballot box outside the Multnomah County Elections Office in Southeast Portland, but most of the ballots remained unharmed, according to the Multnomah County Elections Office. county and the Portland Police Bureau. Law enforcement believes the incident is linked to two incendiary devices found at polls in Vancouver, one on October 8 and one Monday morning.

In Portland, security teams patrolled and monitored ballot boxes 24 hours a day, and put out the fire before police arrived around 3:30 a.m., according to police. A fire extinguisher inside the box protected almost all the ballots. Three were damaged and the elections office plans to contact those voters so they can receive replacement ballots.

“There were only three ballots in the box out of hundreds that showed any damage, and we were able to clearly read the voters’ names on those ballots, so we will contact those who were affected directly,” the county said. said Elections Director Tim Scott during a noon Monday news conference.

Scott said his office will finish processing all other ballots cast over the weekend on Monday. Multnomah County voters can sign up for a ballot tracking service at and receive alerts by text, phone or email when their ballots have been mailed, received and accepted.

Security cameras captured a vehicle that appears to be a black or dark-colored Volvo S-60 manufactured between 2001 and 2004. The vehicle does not have a front license plate – required by law in Washington state and Oregon – and police believe he was connected. in all three incidents.

Multnomah County replaced the damaged ballot box Monday morning. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson urged voters not to be intimidated by the incidents.

“Please don’t let today’s incidents or anything that happens between now and Election Day stop you from expressing yourself through your vote,” she said. “Our democracy depends on you and you can count on us to keep this process safe. The best thing you can do to support our election workers is to vote early, so please keep those ballots circulating.

Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade condemned the arson, while saying the limited damage shows Oregon’s election system is secure.

“Make no mistake, an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and is completely unacceptable,” Griffin-Valade said. “Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters. »

Gov. Tina Kotek also thanked the county elections office and law enforcement.

“Voter intimidation or any criminal act aimed at undermining the upcoming election is un-American and will not be tolerated,” she said.

Across the Columbia River, hundreds of ballots were destroyed Monday morning in a suspected arson attack at a ballot box at the Fisher’s Landing transit center in Clark County, Washington. Election officials said anyone who cast their ballot after 11 a.m. Saturday should contact the Clark County Election Office to get a replacement.

The Washington State Standard reported that some destroyed ballots can still be duplicated and counted.

“It’s heartbreaking. This is a direct attack on democracy,” said Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey.

Kimsey said at the news conference that Clark County also used fire extinguishers in its ballot boxes, but that didn’t work. The county will attempt to procure more effective fire extinguishers and is urging voters to drop off their ballots at election offices or drop boxes by 5:30 p.m.

The FBI said in a statement that it is coordinating with federal, state and local partners to actively investigate the incidents in Vancouver and Portland.

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