Ballot Box Set on Fire in Oregon

PORTLAND, OR – An investigation is underway after an incendiary device ignited a fire in a ballot drop box in southeast Portland early Monday, officials said.

Portland police responded to reports of a fire around 3:30 a.m. Oct. 28 at a ballot box in the 1000 block of Southeast Morrison Street. Security personnel had extinguished the blaze by the time officers arrived. Investigators confirmed the fire was caused by an incendiary device placed inside the box.

Multnomah County officials reported that fire suppressant measures within the ballot box protected nearly all ballots, with only three ballots sustaining damage. County election officials will contact the affected voters, identified through unique codes on their ballot envelopes, to provide replacement ballots.

“Voters should be assured that even if their ballots were in the affected box, their votes will be counted,” the county stated in a press release.

The Multnomah County Elections Division Building was not impacted, and operations continue as usual. The county emphasized its 24/7 security protocols for ballot drop sites, which include ongoing patrols. Other ballot boxes across the county remain unaffected.

The Portland Fire Investigations Unit is involved in the probe, deploying specialized equipment and accelerant-detecting dogs.

A similar incident was reported in Vancouver, Washington, where a ballot drop box also caught fire later that morning. The extent of damage to ballots there remains unclear.