Drop box fires destroy hundreds of ballots in Oregon, Washington

SAN FRANCISCO - Hundreds of ballots were destroyed in Washington and Oregon states after incendiary devices were set off Monday at ballot drop boxes, just days ahead of the Nov 5 presidential election, officials said.

A ballot box in southeast Portland, Oregon, and at least one ballot box in nearby Vancouver, Washington, were set on fire, according to the police.

The early morning fire at the ballot box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box and a nearby security guard, police said, with just three ballot boxes damaged.

However, the Vancouver fire resulted in hundreds of burned ballots, election officials said, calling the incident "an attempt to disenfranchise" voters.

A "suspect vehicle" seen leaving the scene of the fire in Portland has been identified, which is believed to be tied to two similar incidents in Vancouver as well, said Portland Police Bureau in a statement on Monday.

"We don't know the motive behind these acts," Amanda McMillan, Portland Police Bureau assistant chief, said in a press release. "We do know acts like this are targeted and they're intentional and we're concerned about that intentional act trying to impact the election process."

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement that the United States "remains in a heightened, dynamic threat environment and we continue to share information with our law enforcement partners about the threats posed by domestic violent extremists in the context of the 2024 election".