SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County Elections Office said it is committed to keeping ballots safe this election season, following the arson of a ballot drop box in southwestern Washington on Monday morning.
Firefighters responded to a report of a ballot drop box on fire on the morning of October 28 near a transit center in Vancouver, Washington.
Police said hundreds of ballots were damaged in the fire.
Just a few hours earlier, another ballot box was lit on fire in Portland, Oregon.
Officials are investigating both incidents.
Spokane County Auditor, Vicky Dalton, said the arson cases are disappointing.
“Doing damage to ballots is not a form of protest. It is destructive and that is not acceptable in a democracy,” she said.
As the arson investigation continues, Dalton said the county elections office has increased security.
“One of our concerns is always copycats or additional behavior that is destructive,” she said. “We will be having extra staff who will be designated to just crowd control. We will have security, and we’ve been working with law enforcement.”
Dalton said voters can also feel reassured that Spokane’s ballot drop boxes are located near government buildings.
“They are in areas that are well-lit and areas that are well-traveled 24 hours-a-day. So, if anything were to happen, it would take only a very short time for someone to notice and call it in,” she said.
Dalton said it’s important to make sure your ballot is counted after you’ve returned it. You can track your ballot’s status by going online to www.votewa.gov.
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