A new development has emerged in the case of arson attacks on ballot boxes in the states of Oregon and Washington in the United States. The Portland Police Department announced on Wednesday (October 30) that the male suspect believed to have set fire to the ballot boxes has a wealth of experience in metalworking and also planned to commit crimes against other ballot boxes.
According to Mike Benner, a spokesperson for the Portland police department, investigators determined that the suspect has “rich experience” in metalworking and welding based on the homemade arson device used and his method of attaching the device to the metal ballot box.
The police described the suspect as a white male aged between 30 and 40, with a bald head or very short hair. He fled the scene in a black or dark-colored 2001 to 2004 Volvo S-60 without a front license plate. Although the surveillance footage captured the rear license plate, the letters or numbers on it are unclear due to lack of clarity.
Reports have revealed that the arson device had the words “Free Gaza” marked on it, as disclosed by a law enforcement official. They do not rule out the possibility that these arson incidents may be related to protests or events concerning Israel and Palestine.
Officials mentioned that a similar arson incident involving ballot boxes occurred in Vancouver earlier in October, where, in addition to finding the “Free Gaza” inscription, they also discovered the words “Free Palestine” on the arson device.
The audit office in Clark County, Washington, stated that as of Tuesday night (October 29), election workers had retrieved 488 ballots from the damaged ballot boxes, with 345 voters reapplying for ballots. The office mentioned that due to some ballots being completely burnt to ashes, it is still uncertain how many ballots were damaged.
The office urged all individuals who voted between 11:00 a.m. on October 25 and the morning of October 28 to contact them promptly to confirm if their ballots were affected. If their ballots were impacted by the arson incidents, they should request a replacement ballot to ensure their voting rights are not compromised.
The Secretary of State’s office in Washington also encourages voters to check the status of their ballots on www.votewa.gov. If a ballot is not marked as “received,” voters can print out a replacement ballot or visit their local election department to request a new one.
(Adapted from an Associated Press report)