The first incident occurred on October 8 in Vancouver, just across the Columbia River from Portland, when a ballot box was set on fire between 3:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time, the FBI said.

Two ballot drop box fires in the Pacific Northwest this week have stoked concerns about election security and the risk of violence in the 2024 election days before voting concludes. Arson burned hu… ...

In Portland, Oregon, a fire suppression system inside the ballot box protected hundreds of ballots; just three were damaged. The names of the voters were still visible, and the county clerk will ...

A damaged ballot drop box is displayed during a news conference at the Multnomah County Elections Division office on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane) ...

The suspect, who was driving a 20-year-old Volvo, was likely behind the attacks on ballot drop-boxes in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, just across the Columbia River, authorities said.

Police are searching for a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60 seen at the site of the Portland fire. The car did not have a front license plate, making it difficult to identify.

Police in neighboring Vancouver, Washington, responded to an arson at a ballot box about 30 minutes later. Police later released two photos of a vehicle investigators believe was tied to both fires.

October 30, 2024 at 3:24 pm PDT Police are looking for a white man in his 30s or 40s in connection with the Monday morning ballot box arson fires that damaged or destroyed at least 500 ballots in ...

What To Know About The Ballot Box Fires In Pacific Northwest—As Police Warn More Could Happen By Molly Bohannon, Former Staff. Molly Bohannon has been a Forbes news reporter since 2023.

Methods included using road flares, white phosphorus and farm machinery to damage ballot boxes, which the bulletin described as “soft targets” because they’re widely accessible.

Although drop boxes were widely adopted across the U.S. in the 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oregon and Washington have long relied on the method for conducting their elections.