Ballot boxes in multiple states set on fire

Investigators launched a probe after someone set at least two ballot boxes on fire in Oregon and Washington state.

Local authorities said the fires affected hundreds of ballots.

Local authorities said hundreds of ballots were affected.

Ballot boxes on set on fire

Police responded to a call about a fire in Portland about 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. Officials said someone put an “incendiary device” inside the box, and security personnel extinguished the fire.

Someone set a second ballot box on fire early Monday morning at a bus station in nearby Vancouver, Washington, minutes from the first location, according to the Vancouver Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a “suspicious device” next to the box, which was smoking and on fire, police said.

The box in Vancouver is in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive races in the country is taking place.

Other locations

Officials have recently reported other fires affecting ballots across the country.

Last week, someone set a mailbox outside a Phoenix post office on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots. Prosecutors charged a 35‑year‑old man with arson, and the Phoenix Police Department said he told investigators he did not act for political reasons.