The FBI Is Investigating Two Ballot Box Burnings in Washington and Oregon

Hundreds of ballots were damaged in early-morning acts of arson, triggering concerns about voting access.

A King County ballot drop box in Washington State.

Ted S. Warren/AP

Law enforcement teams in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, found themselves responding to similar incidents early on Monday morning: ballot boxes that had been set ablaze.

The incidents, just days out from Election Day, triggered concerns about voting access, especially given that one of those boxes was in a competitive congressional district, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it would investigate.

Democrats in Washington state called it an “attempt to disenfranchise Washington voters.”