Ballot drop box fires under investigation in Oregon, Washington

PORTLAND, Ore. — Hundreds of ballots were destroyed in a ballot box fire in Vancouver early Monday morning, and another ballot box fire in Portland destroyed three ballots. The fires happened about a week away from the Nov. 5 general election.

Vancouver police officers responded around 4 a.m. Monday to a reported arson at a ballot box on Southeast 164th Avenue, near the Fisher’s Landing Transit Depot. The officers found a “suspicious device” next to the ballot box, which was smoking and on fire, according to Vancouver police. A KGW crew saw flames and smoke coming from the ballot box around 6:30 a.m.

The Metro Explosive Disposal Unit retrieved the device and the fire was extinguished, Vancouver police said.

Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey told KGW that hundreds of ballots were severely burned, many of which were destroyed. Kimsey said anyone who dropped off a ballot in that box after 11 a.m. on Saturday should contact the elections division at 564-397-2345 or elections@clark.wa.gov.

Detectives from Vancouver police’s arson team and the Vancouver Fire Marshals also responded, and the FBI is investigating. Buses at the transit depot were not impacted Monday morning, but police closed off the northern section of the parking lot.

Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. is the online and mail deadline to register to vote in Washington, but Nov. 5 is the in-person deadline.

Around 3:30 a.m. Monday, security at the Multnomah County Elections Division notified Portland police that they responded to a fire at a nearby ballot box on Southeast Morrison Street. Security personnel extinguished the fire before officers arrived. Portland police determined an “incendiary device” was put inside the ballot box to ignite the fire. The bureau’s Explosive Disposal Unit removed the device.

A fire suppressant inside the ballot box helped protect the ballots, according to Multnomah County, and only three ballots were damaged. The elections division will contact the three voters so they can receive replacement ballots.

No other ballot boxes or official drop sites in Multnomah County were affected, and the Multnomah County Elections Division Building is open as normal.

“We have multiple systems and security measures in place to ensure your ballot is safe,” said Elections Director Tim Scott in a news release.

People who have concerns who dropped their ballot off at the box between 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 and at 3 a.m. on Oct. 18 should call 503-988-6826. Anyone who sees suspicious activity around an ballot box is asked to call 911.

Portland police and the Portland Fire Investigations Unit are investigating the arson case in Southeast Portland. The Portland Fire Investigations Unit includes a police detective and fire investigators with Portland Fire & Rescue who are sworn law enforcement officers.

Anyone with information about the ballot box fire in Southeast Portland is asked to contact detective Meredith Hopper at Meredith.Hopper@police.portlandoregon.gov, or call the Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigation Unit’s tip line at 503-823-3473 and reference case no. 24-276181.