US ballot boxes under attack; DHS warns of ‘intensified, dynamically changing’ threat environment

US Ballot Boxes Under Attack

WASHINGTON — Recent incidents targeting ballot boxes in Washington and Oregon, alongside a mailbox fire in Phoenix, Arizona, have raised alarms about election-related violence in the U.S. Local police and the FBI are investigating these attacks, which have damaged ballots but resulted in no injuries. Officials from both states condemned these acts as threats to democracy and the electoral process.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified domestic violent extremists as a significant threat to election integrity, motivated by anti-government sentiments and conspiracy theories. In response, DHS is collaborating with law enforcement to enhance security measures and has issued warnings about potential violence, particularly from extremist groups, while also monitoring foreign adversaries like Russia and Iran for their possible involvement in inciting unrest.

Key Concepts

• Recent attacks on ballot boxes in Washington and Oregon have raised concerns about election safety and integrity.
• An incendiary device was found in a ballot box in Vancouver, Washington, damaging several ballots but causing no injuries.
• Local authorities and the FBI are investigating incidents of vandalism targeting ballot drop-off sites.
• State officials condemned these attacks, emphasizing their threat to democracy and the electoral process.
• In Phoenix, Arizona, a mailbox fire destroyed around 20 ballots, highlighting rising election-related violence.
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has warned of potential threats from domestic violent extremists targeting election-related locations.
• Anti-government sentiments and conspiracy theories are motivating factors behind the threats identified by the DHS.
• The DHS has released assessments and safety bulletins to law enforcement regarding the risks posed by extremist groups.
• There is an increased online call for violence against ballot boxes and civil unrest, particularly following high-profile political events.
• U.S. intelligence officials are concerned about foreign adversaries, like Russia and Iran, attempting to incite violence among domestic extremists.
• The DHS is collaborating with various agencies to assess and mitigate potential threats to the electoral process.
• Vigilance is crucial as the U.S. faces an intensified threat environment leading up to the 2024 election.

A series of attacks on ballot boxes across the United States has increased pressure on state and local officials who want to oversee a safe and peaceful presidential election, both for early voting in much of the country and for millions of Americans to head to the polls next week.

The northwestern state of Washington confirmed to VOA on Monday (October 28) that local police and the FBI are investigating reports that someone placed a suspected “incendiary device” in a ballot box in Vancouver, Washington, early Monday morning.

Officials said no one was injured, but some ballots were damaged. Video obtained by local media showed firefighters rushing to the scene with some ballots burning on the ground.

Officials near Portland, Oregon, reported that one of their ballot boxes was also attacked by an incendiary device about 30 minutes ago. However, the fire suppression system inside the ballot box prevented all but three ballots from being damaged.

“Make no mistake, attacks on ballot boxes are attacks on our democracy and are completely unacceptable,” Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said in a statement shared with VOA.

The Washington Secretary of State also condemned the apparent attacks.

“I strongly condemn any terrorist act that undermines a legitimate and fair election in Washington state,” said Steve Hobbs. “We take the safety of election workers very seriously and will not tolerate threats or violence that seek to undermine the democratic process.”

Prior to this, a mailbox containing ballots in Phoenix, Arizona, was also attacked last week. Local officials arrested a suspect who set fire to the mailbox and destroyed about 20 ballots.

U.S. security officials also issued new warnings that extremists within the United States could commit election-related violence.

“We expect domestic violent extremists to pose the most serious physical threat to government officials, voters, and election-related personnel and infrastructure,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in an unclassified assessment released in late September.

Potential targets include “polling places, ballot box locations, voter registration locations, campaign events, party offices, and vote counting stations,” the assessment said.

The DHS assessment warned that the greatest threat could come from “anti-government or anti-authority domestic violent extremists, many of whom may be inspired by partisan policy grievances or conspiracy theories.”

DHS and the FBI also stepped up warnings in a series of non-public safety bulletins sent to police agencies across the country, some of which were obtained by Property for the People, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to the aggressive pursuit of government transparency.”

Some of the bulletins reviewed by VOA noted that calls for attacks on ballot boxes and calls for civil war on social media have increased after the attempted assassination of former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump in July.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security told VOA, “The United States remains in an intensified and dynamic threat environment, and we will continue to share information with our law enforcement partners about the threats posed by domestic violent extremists before and after the 2024 election.”

The spokesperson also said, “DHS continues to work with our partners to assess and mitigate threats that may come from domestic or foreign actors,” “The department continues to advise federal, state, and local partners to remain vigilant to potential threats and encourages the public to report any suspicious activity to local governments.”

Although U.S. security officials believe that the greatest threat of violence may come from anti-government or anti-authority extremists in the United States, U.S. intelligence officials are concerned that adversaries such as Iran and Russia may also be pushing them to launch attacks.

A declassified U.S. intelligence assessment report released last week warned that officials were “increasingly convinced” that Russia had begun to implement a plan to “incite violence.”

The report further assessed that Iran “may also attempt to incite violence.”