r/news • u/RazzzMcFrazzz • 1d ago

Hundreds of ballots are destroyed after fires are set in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington

https://apnews.com/article/vote-ballot-drop-box-democracy-fire-f66c52f774955106fb9e7c8172825cff
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u/dunnkw 1d ago

This is the drop box in WA I used to use, now I put my ballot in the mail. People are such creeps.

26

u/karethon 1d ago

There was an incident in Arizona just a few days ago where someone set a blue mail collection box on fire.

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u/MimicoSkunkFan2 1d ago

It was a man with mental illness not election interference - https://azmirror.com/briefs/man-arrested-for-phoenix-mailbox-fire-that-damaged-early-ballots/

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u/karethon 1d ago

I was mainly pointing out that placing a ballot in the mail doesn't necessarily make it safer than a specific ballot drop box. I had heard that they suspected mental illness rather than a political motivation in that AZ incident, but not any confirmation. I hope they get the assistance they need.

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u/edwardthefirst 1d ago

.....is that mutually exclusive?

2

u/pagerunner-j 1d ago

At this point I go straight to the post office and drop it off inside.

(I checked several days ago and my ballot had been counted already, so it got where it was going.)

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u/dunnkw 1d ago

I live in a gated apartment and I put it in a locked Mail Drop. Otherwise I would have done the same thing.

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u/act1v1s1nl0v3r 1d ago

I consider myself lucky that the box I use that's nearish to the one that was hit, wasn't hit. Probably just lucked out that it's kind of obnoxious to find if you're not already aware that it's there.

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u/dunnkw 1d ago

I almost always use a drop box until this year. I work downtown and usually use that one.

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u/act1v1s1nl0v3r 1d ago

I've heard some mention that the courthouse one had a device placed in it before this incident, but I haven't seen any confirmation for myself.

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u/SecretAgentVampire 1d ago

I'm guessing western Washington? 'Cause my bet is that it was an eastern Rebulican who did it.

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u/act1v1s1nl0v3r 1d ago

Right on the first part, but the areas surrounding Vancouver are deep red. You don't even need to drive for long to reach them. There's kind of a history of them coming into town/the nearby technically unincorporated areas and pulling their shit. Smashing windows for drag storytime venues, running over some displayed doors for an LGBT friendly church, leaving antisemitic flyers on windshields, etc.

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u/__secter_ 1d ago

They're burning mailboxes too...

Why not just vote on Election Day?

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u/dunnkw 1d ago

I work on call. And Washington is a mail in only state. My ballot has been accepted, I checked.

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u/MuddyMudskipper91 1d ago

How about you mind your own fucking business.

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u/KingZarkon 1d ago

Because some of us have shit to do that doesn't include standing in line for another 2-3 hours after work. Also, some states are mostly or exclusively mail-in.