PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities have launched an investigation following the unsettling discovery of an incendiary device inside a ballot box in Portland early Monday morning.
At around 3:30 a.m. on October 28, law enforcement was dispatched to the scene at the ballot box situated in the 1000 block of Southeast Morrison Street after reports of a fire.
Upon their arrival, officers found that security staff had already doused the flames.
According to investigators, a device designed to ignite had been placed within the ballot box, leading to the outbreak of the fire.
The Explosive Disposal Unit from the Portland Police Bureau responded promptly and neutralized the device on-site.
Subsequently, Multnomah County announced that fire suppression agents within the ballot box had largely protected the ballots inside. Only three ballots were reported damaged, and election officials will reach out to the affected voters using unique identifiers found on their ballot envelopes to arrange for replacements.
“Voters can be reassured that their votes will be counted, even if their ballots were placed in the impacted box,” the county stated in a press release.
The Multnomah County Elections Division Building remained unaffected by the incident and resumed normal operations today. Security teams maintain a vigilant watch over all ballot boxes around the clock. There were no impacts reported on any other ballot drop sites across Multnomah County.
If you submitted your ballot at the SE Belmont drop box between 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 26, and 3 a.m. on Monday, you’re encouraged to contact Elections at 503-988-6826 should you have any concerns.
“We have implemented several robust security measures to ensure the integrity of your ballot,’’ said Elections Director Tim Scott. “Our dedicated Elections team is diligently working to guarantee that every vote is accounted for.”
The Portland Fire Investigations Unit also responded, armed with specialized training and equipment, including accelerant detection canines, to assist in the investigation.
Not long after this incident, a ballot drop box in Vancouver, Washington, was reported ablaze. The exact number of ballots affected remains unclear, although authorities indicated that hundreds were stored inside.
SEE ALSO: Burning ballots recovered from smoldering Vancouver ballot box; hundreds likely impacted
Anyone with information regarding this arson case is encouraged to contact Portland Police Detective Meredith Hopper at [email protected] or call the tip line for the Portland Fire & Rescue Fire Investigation Unit at 503-823-FIRE (3473). Please reference case number 24-276181.