Amid warnings from U.S. federal authorities about potential threats “to disrupt the democratic process,” ballot collection boxes in two states were set on fire early Monday. According to local officials, a box in Washington State and another in Oregon were targeted with incendiary devices, while similar devices planted in two other boxes failed to detonate. Authorities connected these attacks to a previous incident on October 8, when another ballot box in Washington was destroyed, citing similarities in the devices used.
In a separate incident in Florida, a container and bag containing ballots were found along the roadside. The Miami Herald reported that the ballots remained intact, with seals unbroken, and had already been scanned and tabulated. Election officials explained that the items had fallen from a truck due to an unlocked door, leading to the dismissal of the driver responsible. Videos of the ballot discovery were posted on X.
Oregon and Washington are safe Democratic states in the presidential race, but the contest for a congressional seat is close in Vancouver – not to be confused with the much larger Canadian city. Washington’s 3rd District includes Vancouver and a huge and largely rural section of the southern part of the state. The seat is currently held by Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez , who eked out a victory over Republican Joe Kent by less than 1% of the vote in 2022 Gluesenkamp Perez and Kent are headed to a rematch in next week’s election.
With official Election Day set for next Tuesday, early voting has already begun in most states. Depending on state-specific procedures, voters may cast ballots by mail, place them in designated ballot boxes, or vote in person at polling locations.
In recent bulletins, the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies warned local officials of potential disruptions from “domestic violent extremists” (DVEs) targeting the elections. The bulletins, released by the transparency organization Property of the People, caution about possible attacks on politicians, candidates, poll workers, judges, ballot boxes, campaign events, and polling places.
One bulletin specifically anticipated threats to ballot drop boxes used for early voting, noting that some social media users have been discussing ways to sabotage them undetected. Another bulletin identified extreme right-wing groups, such as the Proud Boys, as a primary source of these threats, noting that the polarization in U.S. political and social ideologies is increasingly evident in the 2024 presidential election cycle. It also noted that two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump have intensified ideologically-driven hostility, conspiracy theories, and disinformation.
Furthermore, the bulletin warned that international conflicts among key allies are likely to influence U.S. foreign policy, which in turn could intensify political tensions domestically.
(With IANS inputs)
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