The FBI is investigating a case in which two ballot drop boxes caught fire in the Portland, Oregon area on Monday morning (28).
Hundreds of ballots were burned in Vancouver, a small city in Washington state less than 10 miles (16 km) from Portland, with local media reporting that there was a device attached to the outside of the box.
Meanwhile, in southeast Portland, an incendiary device was placed inside a box, causing a small fire that damaged ballots, according to authorities.
The police said in a press conference that the two incidents were connected and are “very similar” to a failed attempt to set fire to another ballot box in Vancouver on October 8.
Ballot drop boxes are used in various states and cities across the U.S. to allow voters to submit their ballots early without having to wait in line on election day.
In September, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that some social media users were promoting the destruction and sabotage of the boxes ahead of the election.
The ballots were last retrieved from the Vancouver box on Saturday morning, and local authorities said that those who dropped off ballots since then should contact the local election office.
Local police will increase their patrols around the ballot boxes.
Authorities in Portland said they were trying to contact voters who submitted the damaged ballots in that incident so they could receive replacements.
The police also released photos of a car they said was linked to the incidents.
Oregon and Washington are predominantly Democratic states in the presidential race, but the contest for a Congressional seat is tight in Vancouver – which should not be confused with the Canadian city.
Last week, a man in Phoenix, Arizona, was charged with setting fire to a U.S. mailbox that contained about 20 ballots.
The man told police that his actions were not politically motivated and that he was homeless and intended to commit a minor crime to be sent to jail.
The Phoenix box was for general mail, while the boxes set on fire in Portland and Vancouver were used solely for ballots.
Source: BBC