Fires at ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington, police ‘suspicious vehicle’: ‘Attack on democracy’

Authorities in Oregon and Washington have identified a “suspicious vehicle” they believe it is linked to incendiary devices that caused fires at the ballot boxes in both states.

The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) released two surveillance photos showing a black or dark Volvo S-60 that they believe is related to the ballot box fires. The vehicle does not have a front license plate but has an unknown rear number plate, police added.

Three ballots were burned in a ballot box fire in Portland, Oregon, on Monday morning. Hours later, hundreds of ballots were burned in a drop box fire in nearby Vancouver, Washington.

Both ballot boxes were equipped with fire suppression systems, but the system inside the ballot box in Vancouver failed, resulting in more ballots being destroyed.

‘INCEDITION DEVICE’ SPARKS FIRE IN PORTLAND, OREGON

Police said incendiary devices were placed outside the boxes.

During Monday’s press conference entitled Authorities said they could recover enough material from the devices to show that the two fires are related. They also said the incidents were linked to an incident that occurred on Oct. 8, when an incendiary device was placed under another ballot box in Vancouver.

“We do not know the motives behind these actions,” said PPB deputy head Amanda McMillan. “We know that such actions are targeted and intentional, so we are concerned that this deliberate action is intended to influence the electoral process. We are committed to putting an end to this type of behavior.”

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Greg Kimsey, the longtime auditor-elect in Clark County, Washington, which includes Vancouver, urged voters who dropped ballots at the transit center’s drop box after 11 a.m. Saturday to contact his office to obtaining a replacement ballot.

“Heartbreaking,” Kimsey said. “This is a direct attack on democracy.”

Kimsey said police will increase patrols around ballot box locations and Clark County Elections Office staff will monitor ballot boxes 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the election is over.

He said employees would not confront anyone but would instead contact police if they saw anything suspicious.

Vancouver is the largest city in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District and the site of one of the nation’s closest U.S. House of Representatives races between first-term Democratic candidates. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent.

The Portland FBI also released a statement on the arson case and said it was actively investigating both situations.

“The FBI is working with partners at the federal, state and local levels to actively investigate two incidents in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, that occurred in the early morning hours of Monday, October 28, to determine who is responsible,” it said. in a statement.

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The FBI encourages anyone with information to contact the nearest FBI office, submit information at Tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-225-5324.

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These latest incidents come just days after about 20 absentee ballots were damaged in a U.S. Postal Service mailbox in Phoenix set on fire.

The suspect in the Arizona arson case, 35-year-old Dieter Klofkorn, was arrested on suspicion of arson of property.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.