In a dramatic twist just days before the election, an apparent act of arson in Vancouver, Washington has destroyed hundreds of mail-in ballots, creating uncertainty for the voters whose ballots may have been lost. Early Monday morning, a ballot drop box near the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center was set on fire, with witnesses capturing smoke pouring from the metal box as firefighters pulled out charred ballots. Officials in Clark County, which includes the highly competitive 3rd Congressional District, fear that only a few ballots will be salvageable, as the majority appear to have been destroyed.
This is in #WA03. In 2022, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D) only beat Joe Kent (R) here by 2,629 votes. The rematch is a Toss Up. https://t.co/zeYNyQbkoi
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) October 28, 2024
This incident occurred nearly 24 hours after the box’s last scheduled ballot collection on Sunday morning, leaving plenty of time for hundreds of ballots to accumulate. Meanwhile, Portland, Oregon experienced a similar attack just hours prior, where police believe an incendiary device was dropped into another ballot drop box, burning an untold number of ballots.
The stakes for Republicans and Democrats in Washington couldn’t be higher, especially in swing districts and down-ticket races where every vote could make the difference. With Washington’s 3rd district currently rated a “toss-up,” the destruction of ballots in a contested district could impact the race’s outcome. If uncounted, these ballots might ultimately influence control of Congress, adding urgency to efforts to either replace or recover them.
Down-ballot Republican candidates like former Congressman Dave Reichert, running for governor, and Senate candidate Raul Garcia, are facing challenges in the largely Democratic state, with Reichert down by 14 points and Garcia trailing by 15. But with close local races like Clark County’s, the loss of votes can’t be ignored.
The timing of this attack raises serious questions about election security and mail-in voting’s vulnerability to sabotage. Both parties are preparing for post-election legal battles, with Republicans likely pointing to incidents like these as evidence of potential interference or voter disenfranchisement. Already, a federal judge has blocked Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s effort to purge around 100,000 voters, while in Arizona, election officials are dealing with another debacle as thousands of incorrect ballots were sent out, adding fuel to partisan disputes.
With so many contested races and last-minute complications, this election season promises to be contentious well beyond Election Day. From damaged ballot boxes to legal challenges, the road to a final count is shaping up to be anything but smooth. One thing is certain: with both parties already preparing for drawn-out legal fights, Americans can expect an election aftermath just as intense as the campaign itself.
Leave a Comment