A drop-off ballot box in a highly contested Washington state House district caught fire early Monday after an incendiary device detonated, destroying hundreds of ballots, according to local officials.
First responders were able to extinguish the flames, and officials are now assessing the extent of the lost votes from the drop box, located at a park-and-ride near Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Vancouver, just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.
“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,” he added. Kimsey informed ‘The Post that the last ballot pickup from the box occurred Saturday at 11 a.m. “Anyone who deposited ballots after 11:00 Saturday morning should contact us immediately,” he urged. “Our team will replace their ballot.”
Vancouver is the largest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, currently experiencing a fiercely competitive race between incumbent Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) and Republican challenger Joe Kent. Two years ago, Perez narrowly defeated Kent by fewer than 3,000 votes, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates their rematch as a “toss-up” race.
In a related incident, the Portland Police Bureau responded to a separate ballot box fire around 3:30 a.m. Monday. “By the time officers arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by security personnel working there. Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to ignite the fire,” the PPB explained in a statement.
Officials are uncertain whether the two incidents are connected. The Post has contacted Clark County, the Vancouver Police Department, and the Washington Secretary of State’s Office for further comment.
