Hundreds of United States election ballots have been ruined after two drop boxes were destroyed – one in Oregon and one in Washington state – in incidents that authorities believe are linked.
One of the boxes was targeted in Portland, Oregon in the early hours of Monday, and a few hours later, another was targeted in Vancouver, Washington.
Incendiary devices were attached to the outside of the boxes and the FBI has been called to help with the case.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Greg Kimsey, the elected auditor in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver.
“It’s a direct attack on democracy,” Kimsey told reporters.
Both of the boxes had a fire suppression system. But the one in Vancouver appeared not to have worked properly and was unable to stop hundreds of ballots from being destroyed, according to Kimsey.
At a press conference in Portland, officials said enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show the two fires on Monday were connected.
They believe they are also linked to an October 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver. No ballots were damaged in that incident.Officials in Portland believe just three ballots were destroyed in the attack.
Taking place less than 10 days before Election Day, the incidents triggered anxiety among many, as well as a hope they would not be repeated.
The city of Vancouver is the largest community in Washington’s third congressional district, where Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is trying to hold off a challenge from Republican Joe Kent.