Ballot boxes set on fire: Incendiary devices with ‘Free the Gas’ messages in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

Incendiary devices were found at the scene a ballot box caught fire in Portland, Oregon, and nearby Vancouver, Washingtonthis week were marked with a “Free Gaza” message, according to a law enforcement official.

A third device, placed in another box in Vancouver earlier this month, also said “Free Palestine” in addition to “Free Gaza,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the current deal. investigation.

Investigators are trying to determine the person responsible and the motive behind a suspected arson attack that destroyed hundreds of ballots at one Vancouver location on Monday when a ballot box’s fire suppression system malfunctioned. Authorities are trying to determine whether the person who left the devices actually had pro-Palestinian views or used the message to try to cause confusion, the official said.

According to Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Banner, surveillance footage showed a Volvo pulling up to a dumpster in Portland just before nearby security officers discovered the fire in the pit.

A fire that broke out in a unloading box in Portland early this morning was quickly extinguished thanks to the extinguishing system inside the box, as well as a security guard who was nearby, police said. 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 said at a news conference in Portland on Monday that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires were linked — and that they were linked to an incendiary device on Oct. 8 in 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.