Ballot drop box fires rekindle concerns that election conspiracy theories are making them a target

ATLANTA -- Two ballot driblet boxes successful nan Pacific Northwest were damaged successful a suspected arson onslaught conscionable complete a week earlier Election Day, destroying hundreds of ballots astatine 1 location successful Vancouver, Washington.

At nan other, successful neighboring Portland, Oregon, it appears a occurrence suppression strategy worked to incorporate nan blaze and constricted nan number of ballots damaged to three. Authorities are reviewing surveillance footage arsenic they effort to place who is responsible.

Here’s what happened, really rules and information measures astir driblet boxes alteration crossed nan country, and really predetermination conspiracy theories person undermined assurance successful their use.

Police said incendiary devices started nan fires successful nan driblet boxes successful Portland and Vancouver. Authorities said grounds showed nan fires were connected and that they besides are related to an Oct. 8 incident erstwhile an incendiary instrumentality was placed astatine a different driblet container successful Vancouver.

Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said his agency was readying to interaction nan 3 voters whose ballots were damaged successful Portland to thief them get replacements.

In Vancouver, hundreds of ballots were mislaid astatine a ballot container astatine nan Fisher’s Landing Transit Center erstwhile nan driblet box’s occurrence suppression strategy did not activity arsenic intended. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said nan container was past emptied astatine 11 a.m. Saturday. Voters who dropped their ballots location afterward are being urged to interaction nan agency to get a caller one.

The agency will beryllium expanding really often it collects ballots and changing postulation times to nan evening to support ballot boxes from remaining afloat overnight erstwhile vandalism is much apt to occur.

Kimsey described nan suspected arson arsenic "a nonstop onslaught connected democracy.”

Drop boxes person been utilized for years successful states specified arsenic Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington, wherever ballots are mailed to each registered voters.

They grew successful fame successful 2020 during nan COVID-19 pandemic, arsenic predetermination officials sought options for voters who wanted to debar crowded polling places aliases were worried astir message delays.

In all, 27 states and nan District of Columbia let ballot driblet boxes, according to information collected by nan National Conference of State Legislatures. Six others don’t person a circumstantial rule but let section communities to usage them.

Placement tin alteration widely. In immoderate communities, they’re located wrong nationalist buildings, disposable only during agency hours. Elsewhere, they are extracurricular and accessible astatine immoderate hour, typically pinch video surveillance aliases personification watching.

Sporadic problems person occurred complete nan years.

In 2020, a fewer driblet boxes were deed by vehicles, and 1 successful Massachusetts was damaged by arson. In that case, astir of nan ballots were legible capable for voters to beryllium identified and sent replacements. A driblet container besides was group connected occurrence successful Los Angeles County successful 2020.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advises authorities and section predetermination officials to spot driblet boxes successful convenient, high-traffic areas that are acquainted to voters, specified arsenic libraries and organization centers.

If driblet boxes are not staffed, they should beryllium secured and locked astatine each times, located successful well-lit areas and monitored by video surveillance cameras, nan guidance says. Many are bolted to nan ground, surveilled pinch cameras aliases confined to nationalist buildings during business hours, wherever they tin beryllium monitored.

Ballot driblet boxes person been successful nan spotlight for nan past 4 years, targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories that falsely claimed they were responsible for monolithic elector fraud successful 2020.

A debunked movie called “2,000 Mules” amplified nan claims, exposing millions to a groundless theory that a ballot harvesting cognition was depositing fraudulent ballots successful driblet boxes successful nan acheronian of night.

An Associated Press study of authorities predetermination officials crossed nan U.S. recovered location were nary wide problems associated pinch driblet boxes successful 2020.

Paranoia astir driblet boxes continued into nan 2022 midterms, erstwhile equipped vigilantes began showing up to show them successful Arizona and were restricted by a national judge. This year, nan blimpish group True nan Vote launched a website hosting national livestreams of driblet boxes successful various states.

In Montana, wherever an important U.S. Senate title is connected nan ballot, Republicans precocious seized connected an unsubstantiated ballot container tampering declare to raise money disconnected doubts astir nan electoral process.

Republican lawmakers successful respective states sought to tighten rules astir message voting aft nan 2020 election, and overmuch of their attraction was connected nan usage of ballot driblet boxes.

Six states person since banned them: Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and South Dakota, according to investigation by nan Voting Rights Lab, which advocates for expanded voting access.

Other states person restricted their use. This includes Ohio and Iowa, which now permits only 1 driblet container per county, according to nan Brennan Center for Justice.

In Georgia's Fulton County, which includes Atlanta and has complete 1 cardinal residents, 10 ballot driblet boxes are disposable for this year’s statesmanlike election. That's down from 38 4 years agone nether an emergency norm prompted by nan pandemic. It’s nan consequence of an predetermination overhaul by Georgia Republicans successful consequence to erstwhile President Donald Trump’s mendacious claims of a stolen election.

Overall, 12 states prohibit driblet boxes aliases do not database driblet boxes arsenic an approved method of returning a ballot, according to information collected by nan National Conference of State Legislatures. Five different states do not person a authorities rule and do not usage driblet boxes.

Drop boxes had been utilized for years successful Wisconsin, 1 of this year's statesmanlike battlegrounds, but support for them has divided on ideological lines since 2020. In Wausau, nan blimpish politician carted distant nan city’s lone driblet box, an action that’s nether investigation by nan authorities Department of Justice. The driblet container has since been returned and is successful use.

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Swenson reported from New York.

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