US election thrown into chaos as hundreds of votes lost in suspicious ballot box fires

A ballot container successful Vancouver, Washington, was seen alight and erstwhile officials opened the box, 'hundreds' of the ballots were connected occurrence and were released to the ground

Hundreds of people's votes are feared to person been mislaid after a ballot box was seen billowing fume aboriginal this morning, with lone a fewer capable to beryllium saved.

Several constabulary units rushed to the country astatine Fisher's Landing Transit Center successful Vancouver, Washington, and cordoned disconnected the container arsenic it continued to emit smoke. Around 6.30am, archetypal responders were seen releasing respective burning ballots onto the crushed wherever they continued to smoulder and fume adjacent aft the fires had been extinguished.

A Clark County elections auditor said hundreds of ballots were successful the container astatine the clip of the occurrence arsenic they had past been collected astatine 8am connected Sunday morning. According to KATU, lone a fewer were salvaged.

The auditor advised those who had dropped disconnected their ballot astatine the determination to interaction the Election Auditor's Office instantly for a replacement ballot. Greg Kimsey, Clark County Auditor said: "We're going to alteration our ballot retrieval process, truthful ballots are retrieved successful the evening truthful determination are fewer ballots near successful the driblet boxes overnight."

Earlier this month, Washington's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported a suspicious instrumentality adjacent a ballot drop-off constituent connected Esther Street. According to police, nary 1 was injured and nary of the ballots were damaged. There has been nary authoritative connection from the town's constabulary oregon region officials yet.

However, the incidental occurred hours aft Portland constabulary responded to different ballot container occurrence wherever an incendiary instrumentality had reportedly been used. The fire, which broke retired astir 3:30 americium connected the 1000 Block of Southeast Morrison Street, was extinguished by information earlier firefighters arrived.

An incendiary instrumentality was recovered and aboriginal cleared, but the PPD is inactive investigating. Officials person not yet commented connected the presumption of the ballots inside. Portland Police Detective Meredith Hopper has urged anyone with accusation astir the occurrence to interaction her. People tin besides telephone the PFandR Fire Investigation Unit's extremity enactment astatine 503-823-3473 and notation lawsuit fig 24-276181.

The ballot container occurrence incidental follows Trump's caller declaration that helium intends to imprison predetermination officials if helium secures the presidency successful 2024. On his Truth Social media platform, Trump made the provocative assertion connected Friday, stating that helium and his lawyers are intimately monitoring the upcoming statesmanlike election.

He wrote: "Cease and Desist. I, unneurotic with galore attorneys and ineligible scholars, americium watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential Election precise intimately due to the fact that I know, amended than most, the rampant Cheating and Skullduggery which has taken spot by the Democrats successful the 2020 Presidential Election. It was a Disgrace to our Nation.