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A video of a burning ballot box went viral and people are really, really worried
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A video of a burning ballot box went viral and people are really, really worried

Exactly one week remains until Election Day and a video of a burning ballot box is going viral.

People in uniform inspect a smoking urn at night. A KATU 2 logo is visible at the bottom rightPeople in uniform inspect a smoking urn at night. A KATU 2 logo is visible at the bottom right

An incendiary device was would have found by authorities next to the ballot box at the Fisher’s Landing Transportation Center in Vancouver, Washington, leaving hundreds of mail-in ballots destroyed.

Ballot drop box on fire with smoke and flames at the base, captured by KATU 2 NewsBallot drop box on fire with smoke and flames at the base, captured by KATU 2 News

Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey called the incident “heartbreaking” and a “direct attack on democracy” “Hundreds, hundreds… yeah, we don’t have an exact number at this point. We’ll probably never have an exact number,” Kimsey told a KOMO News journalist on the situation.

A woman interviews a man in a hallway for KOMO News 4. A person walks away in the backgroundA woman interviews a man in a hallway for KOMO News 4. A person walks away in the background

According to CNN, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security bulletin from September of this year said: “Some social media users are discussing and encouraging various methods to sabotage ballot boxes and avoid detection, likely increasing the targeting potential of this election infrastructure throughout throughout the 2024 election cycle.

“Election infrastructure remains an attractive target for some domestic violent extremists and other threat actors with election-related grievances who seek to disrupt the democratic process and electoral operations. »

In response, Clark County announced that election office employees would monitor all 22 ballot boxes throughout the department 24/7.

Two people walk past a ballot box bearing voting information, including a closing time of 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.Two people walk past a ballot box bearing voting information, including a closing time of 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Frédéric J. Brown / Getty Images

This incident is not the first of its kind during this election cycle, as the The FBI is investigating this and another “arson” of ballot boxes that occurred in Portland, Oregon.this month.

        KOMO News / Via youtube.com        KOMO News / Via youtube.com

More than 11 million people watched the video showing authorities removing destroyed ballots from the box, and concern over the state of the election only increased.

Twitter: @evanbellKATU / Via youtube.com

“The federal government better stop acting like we’re not witnessing a real coup,” one user commented.

Twitter: @MelechThomas / Via youtube.com

“If your vote doesn’t matter, then why are they literally burning the ballot boxes?”

Twitter: @jackfreemanjr

“Overall, this is an extremely disturbing development that has emerged in several states. Seeking to destroy the votes of the people is terrible and undemocratic. Specifically, this is WA-03, one of the most competitive races for the House of Representatives in the country.

Twitter: @geoffreyvs / Via youtube.com

“If you cast or mailed your ballot, check online to make sure it was received. This is not a joke. It’s probably a good idea with this kind of crap going on. “

Twitter: @MikeDrucker / Via youtube.com

In a recent statementThe U.S. Postal Service advised mail-in voters to turn in their ballots a week before Election Day.