‘Free Gaza’ messages found after ballot boxes set on fire in Oregon, Washington: Officials fear there could be more

The man is suspected of burning ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington is an experienced metal worker and may be planning more attacks, authorities said Wednesday.

Investigators believe the man who planted incendiary devices at ballot boxes in Portland, Ore., and nearby Vancouver, Wash., had “extensive experience” in metal fabrication and welding, Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Banner said.

According to Benner, the way the devices were designed and the way they were attached to the metal drop boxes shows that experience.

Authorities described the suspect as a white man between 30 and 40 years old with balding or very short hair.

The police reported earlier showed video from surveillance cameras a man driving a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle did not have a front license plate, but had a rear license plate with unknown letters or numbers.

According to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, the incendiary devices were marked with the message “Release the Gas” because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

A third device, placed in another box in Vancouver earlier this month, had the word “Free Gaza” written on it as well as “Free Palestine.”

Investigators are establishing the person involved and the motives for the alleged arsons, which destroyed or damaged hundreds of ballots in Vancouver on Monday when a fire suppression system malfunctioned. Authorities are trying to determine whether the suspect actually had pro-Palestinian views or used the message to try to create confusion, the official said.

According to Banner, surveillance footage showed the Volvo pulling up to the container in Portland just before security personnel discovered the fire inside the pit on Monday. According to the police, the fire, which broke out early in the morning, was quickly extinguished thanks to the fire extinguishing system of the box and a security guard standing nearby. Only three ballots inside were damaged.

The ballot box in Vancouver that burned also had a fire suppression system inside, but it was unable to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning, said Greg Kimsey, longtime auditor of Clark County, Wash., which includes Vancouver. Kimsey said Tuesday that the exact number of ballots destroyed was unknown, and that about 475 damaged ballots had been removed from the ballot box.

On Wednesday, election officials planned to sort through the damaged ballots to get information about who threw them in, in the hope that those voters can get replacement ballots. Kimsey urged voters who dropped off their ballots in a transit box between 11 a.m. Saturday and early Monday to contact his office to get a replacement.

Authorities in Portland said Monday that enough incendiary material was recovered to show that the two fires were linked — and that they were linked to an incendiary device on Oct. 8 at another ballot box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in this incident.

Voters in Washington are urged to check the status of their ballots at www.votewa.gov to track the return status. If the returned ballot is not marked “received,” voters can print another ballot or visit their local elections office for a replacement, the secretary of state’s office said.