Authorities are investigating a man suspected of setting fire to ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington, believing he may be planning additional arson attacks. The suspect, an experienced metalworker, has used his skills to craft incendiary devices targeting ballot boxes, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner stated that the design and placement of the devices reveal a “wealth of experience” in metalworking and welding. “The expertise in how these devices were constructed and attached to the drop boxes shows a sophisticated level of knowledge,” Benner explained.
Police described the suspect as a white male between 30 and 40 years old, either balding or with very short hair. Surveillance footage captured him driving a dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60 with a rear license plate, although the exact letters and numbers remain unidentified.
According to an anonymous law enforcement source, each incendiary device bore messages reading “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine.” Authorities are investigating whether these statements reflect the suspect’s actual views or if they were intended to create confusion.
At present, law enforcement officials are working to understand the suspect’s motives as well as his identity.
The ballot drop box in Vancouver, Washington, sustained significant damage on Monday after its internal fire suppression system failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning. Surveillance images captured a Volvo pulling up to a ballot box in Portland just as a fire erupted inside the box.
A nearby security guard quickly extinguished the flames with the help of the ballot box’s fire suppression system, saving all but three ballots inside.
Greg Kimsey, Clark County’s longtime elected auditor, shared that 488 damaged ballots were retrieved from the Vancouver ballot box, where the fire suppression system malfunctioned. “The failure of the system in Vancouver allowed hundreds of ballots to be destroyed,” Kimsey said.
As of Tuesday evening, 345 affected voters had contacted the auditor’s office to request replacement ballots, with the remaining 143 being mailed out Thursday.
Despite extensive efforts to salvage the ballots, officials reported that six were unidentifiable, and some ballots may have been completely reduced to ash. Election staff have been working to recover as much information as possible about those who dropped their ballots between 11 a.m. Saturday and early Monday to ensure each voter receives a replacement.
The Portland Police Bureau confirmed Monday that material evidence recovered from the devices in Portland linked the fires to an October 8 incident at another Vancouver ballot drop box, where a similar incendiary device was placed. Fortunately, no ballots were damaged in the October attack.
In response to the attacks, the Washington Secretary of State’s office encouraged voters to verify the status of their ballots on the state’s election website, www.votewa.gov. If ballots submitted during the incident window are not marked as “received,” voters can print a replacement ballot or visit their local election office to obtain a new one.
This online tracking system is intended to offer peace of mind to voters as authorities continue their investigation.
Benner emphasized that the two attacks in Portland and Vancouver, as well as the earlier incident on October 8, are likely connected. The suspect’s methods demonstrate knowledge of metal fabrication, and authorities remain concerned that he may attempt further attacks.
