(Bloomberg) -- A fire in a ballot box in southwestern Washington destroyed hundreds of ballots in a county where the congressional race could help determine control of the US House of Representatives.
Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said county officials are working through the damaged ballots to contact as many voters as possible and send them replacements. Washington state automatically sends mail-in ballots to every registered voter, which can be returned by mail or through official drop-boxes.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Kimsey said in a phone interview. “It’s a direct attack on democracy.”
Kimsey said anyone who put their ballot in the impacted ballot box in Vancouver, Washington should contact the county or go to the state’s voter portal to track their ballot. He said police have not yet identified a suspect or a motive.
Local news station KATU previously reported the fire.
The county is part of Washington’s third congressional district where incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is facing a tough challenge from Republican Joe Kent. Cook Political Report rates the district as one of the most competitive in the country.
Gluesenkamp Perez requested a “law enforcement presence” to protect ballot drop boxes overnight through election day in Clark County. She also provided resources for constituents to check the status of their ballots.
“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 in a statement. “Our right to vote needs to be protected under all circumstances.”
A spokesperson for Kent’s campaign didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.
Denouncing such incidents as “acts of terror,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said law enforcement, including the FBI, were on the scene.
“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 a statement Monday. “Despite this incident, I have complete confidence in our county elections official’s ability to keep Washington’s elections safe and secure for all voters.”
A similar fire was also reported in Portland, Oregon. NBC News reported a mailbox fire that damaged ballots in Phoenix, Arizona.
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(Updates with Gluesenkamp Perez statement beginning in the seventh paragraph.)
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