# Hundreds of ballots are destroyed after fires are set in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 28, 2024, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355 "2024-10-28T16:57:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/61 "2024-10-29T00:49:08Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Which ballots were they trying to destroy? The ones in the boxes. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/62 "2024-10-29T01:37:40Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The politics of Portland and Vancouver, Wa are not similar at all. Portland is reliably liberal blue, and Vancouver is much more conservative. Are you saying Vancouver WA votes GOP? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/63 "2024-10-29T02:53:35Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > > [@dougrb](#): > > > > That’s probably not cheap either. Creating jobs! > > This made me picture small firemen hiding in ballot drop boxes, waiting to spring into action if someone tries to light them up. > > “No one expects the Miniature Fire Fighters!” I’ve retrofitted flammable storage cabinets with self-activating fire extinguishers, and server rooms that can’t have water sprinklers with FM200 suppressant systems. It’s not a big deal (evinced by it having been done by me) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/64 "2024-10-29T03:00:53Z")
Many decades ago, I worked for a safety and fire equipment company that installed halon gas systems in restaurants and the like. I knew stuff like that exists. I was very pleased to learn (but not surprised) that Oregon is way ahead of any potential saboteurs in their drop box protection. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/65 "2024-10-29T03:08:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Are you saying Vancouver WA votes GOP? Clark County, in which Vancouver is located, went for Biden in 2020 but not by a huge margin. Compared to Portland, though, it’s much sleepier and more conservative. Nobody’s ever gonna make a TV show called “Vancouveria”. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/66 "2024-10-29T07:28:03Z")
There is a gold star account on twitter that is posting the following: "It would be terrible if people were to dump massive amounts of water inside of ballot boxes in Democrat counties this election. What other substances should we avoid putting into ballot boxes in Democrat counties this election season?" From a little research, it seems that this account is run by a guy who goes by several names. James Morrison and Jim Lewis are two of the names. There are several reddit threads about him. I really wish someone would investigate that chump. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/67 "2024-10-29T08:29:02Z")
While I have no problem with ballot drop boxes, I think it would be appropriate to put them in places where an eye could be kept on them. Say, fire and police stations, city hall, and the like. Not just out in the open. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/68 "2024-10-29T08:46:19Z")
You don’t want drop boxes near fire stations, and probably not police stations either. Around here, near the end of Election Day there’s always a big last minute rush to drop off ballots. That means lots of congestion on the roads leading to the drop boxes. You don’t want your roads near fire stations to be congested any more than usual. Ditto for police stations. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/69 "2024-10-29T13:54:46Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > You don’t want drop boxes near fire stations The drop box we use is in the parking lot of the fire station. It’s the white box in the middle of the parking stalls in [this Google Maps image](https://www.google.com/maps/search/birch+bay+fire+station+birch+bay-lynden/@48.9355261,-122.7310313,121m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAyMy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D). ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/70 "2024-10-29T13:57:50Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Around here, near the end of Election Day there’s always a big last minute rush to drop off ballots. That means lots of congestion on the roads leading to the drop boxes. You don’t want your roads near fire stations to be congested any more than usual. Ditto for police stations. Nonsense. Or at least a very disproportionate concern to the actual risk. There’s a long line of cars every single school day at every elementary school in the USA. Plenty of schools are sited near police and fire stations. I know of two stations near here in generic suburbia within rock-throwing distance of a school. No material number of congestion-caused response disasters ensue. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/71 "2024-10-29T18:23:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Portland and Vancouver are right next to each other, easy to hit both in one evening. Sure its relatively easy to hit both, but its probably even easier to hit several in Portand or several in Vancouver. Looking at a [map of Drop boxes](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1dFZZ-5j0KhIBiy8ZcHMyRGxBc6EPfmE&ll=45.4524847334354%2C-122.63076743544497&z=11) the one in Portland that was hit was in Downtown (1000 block of SE Morrison), and there are several others on the way to Vancouver that weren’t hit. The Vancouver one is just over the border. So I still think that the perp specifically wanted to hit two separate states. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/72 "2024-10-29T19:01:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Or, Idaho West, or is that Eastern WA? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/73 "2024-10-29T19:57:30Z")
My hypothesis is that the perpetrator was an anarchist, rather than someone in favor of either major party. Perhaps two anachists who coordinated online. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/74 "2024-10-29T20:17:52Z")
Just in case anyone sees this floating about today (I’ve seen it about 10 times on Reddit), there’s also a story about a guy in ARIZONA who set a USPS MAIL BOX on fire, who has turned himself in. He looks pretty, uhm, comical, so people are having fun posting his mugshot online and saying “Here’s the guy who burned down the ballot boxes!” > **[Ballots damaged after USPS mailbox lit on fire in Phoenix; suspect arrested](https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/ballots-damaged-after-usps-mailbox-lit-fire-phoenix)** > > An arrest has been made after a United States Postal Service mailbox near 7th Avenue and Indian School Road was lit on fire on Oct. 24, damaging over a dozen ballots. The fire did catch some ballots, but the arson had nothing to do with ballot boxes, and the suspect says he had no political motivation. He is just regular crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/75 "2024-10-29T20:55:17Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Perhaps two anachists who coordinated online. Organized anarchy: the worst kind. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/76 "2024-10-30T02:24:51Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Perhaps two anachists who coordinated online. You could lose your Anarchist Card\* for that. \*The cards say “This _would_ be an Anarchist Card, except that any decent Anarchist wouldn’t be caught dead being a card-carrying member of anything.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/77 "2024-10-30T02:28:41Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > From a little research, it seems that this account is run by a guy who goes by several names. James Morrison and Jim Lewis are two of the names. Does he also go by John Barron? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/78 "2024-10-30T05:40:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Investigators responding to arson fires at two ballot boxes in the Pacific Northwest this week found devices at both scenes marked with the words “Free Gaza,” according to two law enforcement officials. > > Investigators are trying to determine if the perpetrator was actually a pro-Palestinian activist or someone using that prominent cause to sow discord, one of the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. But the message has added a heightened layer of political sensitivity to a closely watched investigation in the final days of a tense presidential election. > **[Devices With ‘Free Gaza’ Messages Found at Ballot Box Fires](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/29/us/ballot-box-fires-oregon-washington-gaza.html)** > > The police said they had not determined a motive for the arson fires in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. But the messages have heightened the sensitivity of the investigation. I suppose it’s possible this could be magachuds pulling a false flag, but this feels like exactly the kind of counterproductive crap the “Harris deserves to lose for supporting Israel” crowd would pull. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2024, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/79 "2024-10-30T06:53:45Z")
In Clark County, they’re taking additional security measures. From [this article](https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/elections/ballot-box-fires-security-measures-portland-vancouver/283-3b6fe29f-ad6e-4486-9874-6e684434bfe9). > Now a week away from Election Day, contracted workers will be [closely monitoring](https://clark.wa.gov/elections/updated-clark-county-auditor-statement-regarding-ballots-destroyed-ballot-box) all 22 of the county’s ballots 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They will not confront anyone, but they will be there to observe and report anything suspicious. The county will also be collecting ballots more frequently so there are fewer ballots in the boxes overnight. And the Vancouver police and Clark County sheriff’s office will be stepping up patrols. As far as the feds getting involved, the FBI is already investigating all three fires (the one in Portland, the one in Vancouver, and the attempted fire at a Vancouver ballot box 3 weeks ago). It’s a damned shame all this is necessary. My son and his wife live in Vancouver. Luckily, they haven’t voted yet. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2024, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355/80 "2024-10-31T08:04:34Z")
The police have some information on the suspect - they’re looking for a white man age 30-40 with male pattern baldness who is an experienced metalworker. > **[Police say the man behind ballot box fires has metalworking experience and...](https://apnews.com/article/ballot-drop-box-fires-portland-vancouver-60fea753ceb761624e6aba49f0e9dd99)** > > Investigators say the man suspected of setting fires in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington state is an experienced metalworker and may be planning additional attacks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hundreds-of-ballots-are-destroyed-after-fires-are-set-in-ballot-drop-boxes-in-oregon-and-washington/1009355.md?page=5)