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A series of attacks on ballot drop boxes in the Portland, Oregon, area have officials there on high alert. Police say two fires set in ballot boxes on Monday are connected to a third incident. From Oregon Public Broadcasting, Dirk VanderHart reports.
DIRK VANDERHART, BYLINE: The calls came in rapid succession. At 3:30 a.m. Monday, Portland police were alerted to a fire at a ballot box outside of county election headquarters. A half hour later, police in the neighboring city of Vancouver, Washington, responded to a blaze at a drop box there - this one at a transit center. A local news crew showed up in time to grab footage of officials shoveling smoldering ballots onto a rainy sidewalk.
Police say the two fires were set by the same person or people, using a device designed to ignite the paper inside. And they link Monday's fires to a failed October 8 attack on a separate Vancouver ballot box. Mike Benner is a spokesperson for Portland Police.
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MIKE BENNER: There was enough evidence collected at all three scenes that lead us to believe that all three incidents are connected.
VANDERHART: The damage was limited. In the Portland fire, just three ballots were burned, but possibly hundreds were destroyed in the Washington incident. Election officials say voters who used the box can ask for a replacement ballot. The fires could affect a tight U.S. House race in southwest Washington. Oregon and Washington have long voted by mail and drop box, and the attacks have rattled election workers, like Multnomah County, Oregon elections director Tim Scott.
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TIM SCOTT: I've been with Multnomah County elections for 16 years. I've been in elections for 22 years. This is the first time any incident has occurred.
VANDERHART: Authorities haven't announced a motive in the incidents. Police are looking for a dark-colored Volvo that may be connected to the fires. The FBI is also investigating. Ballot boxes have been under increasing scrutiny in recent years, says Max Read. He's a senior research manager for elections at the nonprofit Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
MAX READ: Ballot drop boxes have been the subject of conspiracy theories and false claims about their security since 2020. They've been a focus at different times for some extremist groups and other election integrity groups.
VANDERHART: In the Portland area, police are stepping up patrols around ballot boxes. And officials like Scott are asking voters to be alert.
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SCOTT: Anyone who sees any suspicious activity around a ballot drop site, please reach out, call us, let us know.
VANDERHART: But the overarching message from Scott and other officials is simply this - vote.
For NPR News, I'm Dirk VanderHart in Portland, Oregon.
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