Mailboxes housing ballots in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, have been set on fire

Mailboxes in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, housing election ballots were set on fire by an unknown person early Monday morning, police said. The fires were set 10 days before Election Day.

Local officials said three ballots were damaged in Portland while potentially “hundreds” were affected in Vancouver. 

The Portland Police Bureau said an “incendiary device” was placed inside a sidewalk ballot box in the Central City district. By the time officers responded to reports at about 3:30 a.m. local time, security personnel in the area had extinguished the flames.

“Officers determined an incendiary device was placed inside the ballot box and used to ignite the fire,” a statement from the Portland police read, adding that the bureau’s Explosive Disposal Unit removed the mechanism.

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