Approximately 475 damaged ballots were recovered from a burned ballot box in southwest Washington, as confirmed by Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey. The incident, which occurred early Monday, has prompted officials to take immediate action to address the situation.
Kimsey stated that a team of workers will commence the process of sorting through the damaged ballots on Wednesday to retrieve voter information. This information will be crucial in contacting affected voters and providing them with new ballots. Despite the damage, officials are optimistic about salvaging voter details from the ballots.
The damaged ballots are distinct from an undisclosed number that were completely destroyed in the fire. The incident is part of a series of attacks on ballot drop boxes in the region, with similar incidents reported in Portland, Oregon.
Authorities have linked the fires in Vancouver to an earlier incident on October 8, where an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box. Surveillance footage captured a vehicle near the Portland drop box just before the fire was discovered, indicating a potential connection between the incidents.
The FBI, along with other agencies, is actively investigating the fires to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable. Despite ongoing efforts, no arrests have been made as of Tuesday evening.
The fire suppression systems installed in the ballot drop boxes in both Vancouver and Portland played a crucial role in containing the fires. However, the incident has prompted officials to enhance security measures, including more frequent ballot collections and adjusted collection times.
Officials in various counties, including King County, have announced increased monitoring of ballot drop boxes leading up to Election Day to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
