Investigators found incendiary devices adorned with the message, “Free Gaza,” at the sites of two ballot boxes that were set on fire in Oregon and Washington on Monday, suggesting the arsons may have been committed by an anti-Israel protester.
Authorities said they have not yet determined the motive. It remains unclear whether the perpetrator is an anti-Israel activist or merely someone hijacking the cause to sow discord in the week leading up to the presidential election, an anonymous official told the New York Times. Whoever he is, the suspect is said to be driving a dark-colored, early 2000s Volvo.
Both fires started early Monday morning between 3 and 4 a.m. in Portland, Ore., and neighboring Vancouver, Wash. Incendiary devices were the source of the fires. FBI officials announced they were leading the investigation into the two incidents, which they said are linked to an arson attempt earlier this month.
A device with the “Free Gaza” message was found at a third ballot box in Vancouver on October 8. The object also displayed the words, “Free Palestine.” That drop box was not compromised.
All three devices were sent to a terrorist explosive device analytical center in Huntsville, Ala., for forensic analysis. “As part of the analysis, it’ll be examined for any unique writings or markings,” a Portland police spokesman told National Review.
Only three ballots were damaged in the Portland arson after the ballot box’s fire-suppressant system was triggered. Election officials said they contacted the three voters whose ballots were destroyed.
In Vancouver, however, hundreds of ballots were burned because that particular fire-suppressant system did not work. The ballot box was last emptied late Saturday morning, meaning any voter who deposited a ballot there after that time was asked to request a replacement ballot.
The auditor in Clark County, which includes Vancouver, said Monday that observers would be stationed to monitor all 22 ballot-box locations in the city 24 hours a day. Vancouver police also announced additional patrols to increase protection for the ballot boxes.
Both Oregon and Washington fully rely on mail-in voting, requiring each resident to submit their ballot via mail or drop it off at a ballot box. While neither are considered swing states, there are some closely-watched races there — including a neck-and-neck congressional race rematch between incumbent Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D., Wash.) and Republican challenger Joe Kent.
In July, the Department of Homeland Security warned Americans about “incendiary and explosive materials” being dropped into ballot boxes leading up to the November election. The intelligence report said an unidentified informant received multiple messages online about how to attack ballot boxes. Cherry bombs, lighting gel, gasoline, and other tools were suggested as possible incendiaries.