US ballot boxes under attack; Homeland Security warns of 'heightened, dynamic' threat environment

Washington — A series of attacks on ballot collection boxes across the United States is ratcheting up the pressure on state and local officials, who are hoping to oversee a safe and peaceful presidential election, both for early voting underway across much of the country and for when millions of Americans go to the polls next week. The Northwest U.S. state of Washington confirmed to VOA Monday that local police and the FBI are investigating reports of a suspected “incendiary device” that was placed in a ballot drop box in Vancouver, Washington, early Monday. Officials said no one was injured but that some of the ballots were damaged. Video obtained by local media showed firefighters responding to the scene, with some of the ballots burning on the ground. Officials across state lines, in nearby Portland, Oregon, reported one of their ballot boxes was also attacked with an incendiary device, about 30 minutes earlier. But a fire suppressant system inside the collection box prevented damage to all but three of the ballots. “Make no mistake, an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable,” said Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade in a statement shared with VOA. Washington state’s secretary of state likewise condemned the apparent attacks. “I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” said Steve Hobbs. “We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process.” The attacks on ballot boxes in Washington and Oregon follow last week’s attack on a mailbox with election ballots in Phoenix, Arizona, in the country’s Southwest. Officials there arrested a suspect for setting fire to the mailbox, damaging about 20 ballots. The spate of attacks on mailboxes and ballot collection boxes comes as U.S. security officials are issuing new warnings about potential election-related violence at the hands of U.S.-based extremists. “We expect DVEs [domestic violent extremists] will pose the most significant physical threat to government officials, voters, and elections-related personnel and infrastructure,” the Department of Homeland Security said in an unclassified assessment issued in late September. Potential targets, the assessment said, included, “polling places, ballot drop box locations, voter registration sites, campaign events, political party offices, and vote counting sites.” The DHS assessment warned the biggest threat likely stems from what it describes as “anti-government or anti‑authority DVEs [domestic violent extremists], many of whom likely will be inspired by partisan policy grievances or conspiracy theories.” The DHS and FBI have also amplified their warnings in a series of nonpublic security bulletins sent to police agencies across the country, some of which were obtained by Property of the People, a nonprofit group that describes itself as “dedicated to the aggressive pursuit of governmental transparency.” Some of the bulletins reviewed by VOA cited growing calls on social media for attacks on ballot collection boxes as well as growing calls for civil war following the attempted assassination of former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump this past July. “The United States remains in a heightened, dynamic threat environment and we continue to share information with our law enforcement partners about the threats posed by domestic violent extremists in the context of the 2024 election,” a DHS spokesperson told VOA, when asked about the bulletins. “DHS continues to work with our partners to evaluate and mitigate emerging threats that may arise from domestic or foreign actors,” the spokesperson added. “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 authorities.” While U.S. security officials believe the biggest threat of violence may come from U.S.-based anti-government or anti‑authority extremists, U.S. intelligence officials have raised concerns that adversaries like Iran and Russia may also be pushing them to carry out attacks. A declassified U.S. intelligence assessment issued last week warned officials are “increasingly confident” that Russia is starting to engage in plans “aimed at inciting violence.” It further assessed Iran also “may try to incite violence.”