Elected officials and commentators are labeling Monday’s ballot box arsons in Washington and Oregon as acts of “domestic terrorism.”
Washington’s Secretary of State Steve Hobbs denounced the attacks as acts of “terror” aimed at destabilizing the democratic process.
The fires erupted early Monday morning, one in a ballot box in Portland, Oregon, where a fire suppression system protected most of the ballots, and another in Vancouver, Washington, where hundreds of ballots were destroyed after a similar device was used, but the suppression system failed.
“We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process,” Hobbs said in an official statement, assuring the public of his “complete confidence” in election security.
Hobbs later posted on X, stressing that “those responsible for this terrorist act knew the damage they would cause,” and encouraging voters to exercise their right to vote as a show of resilience.
In her blog Civil Discourse former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance labeled the attacks “domestic terrorism,” writing, “It’s important for us to call this what it is: an attack on democracy.” She argued that such incidents aim to deter voting and to cast doubt on election integrity,
“Only cowards attack elections,” Vance wrote. “True public servants, leaders, run in them based on their ideas, their policies, and their personal appeal. Hoodlums resort to attacks against mail-in and drop-off voting, two tested applications that make it easier for more eligible voters to participate in elections.”
She said it “a prompt arrest and prosecution” was necessary to avert further threats.
Vancouver authorities have identified a black 2001-2004 Volvo S-60, believed to be connected to both incidents and an earlier failed attempt.
Law enforcement officials, including the FBI, are conducting a parallel investigation, with heightened security around drop boxes and enhanced patrols leading up to Election Day.
Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who represents Washington’s 3rd District, which covers Vancouver, Washington area, called on voters affected by the arson to request replacement ballots and expressed confidence that those responsible will be swiftly brought to justice.
Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat who is running for reelection in a district she won in 2022 by less than 3,000 votes, wrote on X that affected voters should request replacements and reaffirmed that “the people of Southwest Washington will not be deterred from exercising our right to vote.”
