A Democratic lawmaker has requested that police to patrol all ballot drop boxes in Clark County, Washington, following two fires damaging ballots in the Portland area.
“I am requesting an overnight law enforcement presence be posted at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County through Election Day. Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence,” Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez said Monday.
Authorities said one of the fires happened at a drop box in Vancouver, Washington. Gluesenkamp Perez said hundreds of ballots were destroyed.
The other fire was at a drop box in Portland, Oregon, which is located about 10 miles from Vancouver. Nearly all the ballots were protected by fire suppressant inside the box, but three were damaged, Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said earlier.
“There is absolutely zero place in our democracy for political violence or interference against our fellow citizens, election workers, or voting infrastructure,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.
She represents Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive House races in the country is taking place.
