What To Know About The Ballot Drop Box Incidents In Oregon And Washington

TPM Article Topics
1

Originally published at: What To Know About The Ballot Drop Box Incidents In Oregon And Washington - TPM – Talking Points Memo

The FBI, alongside local and state law enforcement, is investigating two incidents of ballot drop boxes catching fire on Monday in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Breaking: FBI Portland statement regarding response to incidents in Vancouver, Wa, and Portland today. @vancouverpdusa @portlandpolice https://twitter.com/FBIPortland/status/1850981148702261730/photo/1— FBI Portland (@FBIPortland) October 28, 2024 Police announced on Monday that enough…

1 Like
2

I really don’t understand the point of these drop boxes. I live in Washington State. Every ballot can be mailed, for free. Why would I put my ballot in a big box that says ballots, when I can put it in the mail where it is far less likely to get targeted by subversive elements?

Also, blowing up a ballot box is pretty stupid. Especially when we have enough time for everybody who voted to vote again, inshallah, and in Washington State everybody can verify whether or not their vote has been received.

13 Likes
3

I wonder if the Volvo driver stopped for a latte before lighting these boxes on fire?

But seriously, the Portland drop box is the one I use. I’ve been seeing reports on Nextdoor of people having their ballots stolen from their mailboxes in Portland.

I can see the utility of burning the Vancouver boxes, particularly since it is in a heavily democratic area of Vancouver and that Wa 3rd race is critical and was close last time.

But Portland? Maybe just the act of burning up liberal voters ballots is enough for this particular individual.

16 Likes
4

In Washington, every ballot has postage prepaid. Isn’t that the case in Oregon? I’m still just trying to understand why we have these boxes. They don’t seem necessary. They seem like giant, I don’t know, rage bait.

2 Likes
5

I would say they are useful when you want to be sure your ballot is counted, especially close to the election, and especially with Louis DeJoy still in charge of the Post Office.

27 Likes
6

Still don’t buy the argument. Okay maybe I buy the argument for having ballot boxes the last week of the election or close to election day, but I don’t understand the fear of the mail. It seems to be completely batshit to suggest that the federal government would commit federal crimes for which there are punishments that are severe, and ignoring the fact that we have these big giant boxes that say ballot on the side, just inviting the anti-democracy elements to burn them.

And you can always go online and check if you vote it, or call the local clerk’s office and ask.

3 Likes
7

Ditto on usefulness.

I wish this was treated like the Covid epidemic. Everyday at a certain time, a government offical gets in front of the press and discusses election incidents and the truth about what happens.

  • lady makes error in ballot marking machine, poll workers correct it, MTGreene is wrong about machine flipping votes
  • woman and man wear candidtae clothing into voting area - why not allowed, penalties for attacking poll workers
  • ballot boxes targeted, how to check your vote, terroism changes are X years…
  • etc.
13 Likes
8

Shouldn’t there be a really big federal penalty for this?

14 Likes
9

It’s free in Oregon too, though that is new in the last few years.

6 Likes
10

So, what’s the proper response? And why have none of the stories (or at least the ones I’ve read) note that Vancouver, WA is right across the river from Portland, so both are likely to be in areas leaning blue?

Let voters provide an affidavit that they left their ballots in the Vancouver box so that they can cast a replacement ballot? Or destroy a similar number of ballots from a box in eastern Washington? There has to be a remedy, and I, for one, don’t care in the least if Republicans whine about it.

But one thing is certain. This is election interference, and Trump owns it.

17 Likes
11

Fair point. However, I have more confidence in federal employees following federal law than domestic terrorists following federal law.

1 Like
12

Here in the suburbs of Sacramento, CA, our closest drop box is at our little local library, and it’s located INSIDE the building. So, we can only use it during regular library hours. But it’s right inside the door next to the Librarian’s service counter, so it’s under constant surveillance by workers and patrons. That’s what makes me feel confident to use it instead of taking a chance that my ballot will be “misplaced” at the Post Office or subjected to thieves or vandals in an unsecure location.

23 Likes
13

Two words: Louis DeJoy.

21 Likes
14

SCOTUS recognizes a de facto 28th Amendment, established by the IOKIYAR Act

3 Likes
15

Oregon and Eastern Washington are where the RWNJ ‘activists’ are. They’re doing their bit to create election insecurity whether it affects a race ro not.

6 Likes
16

I recently listened to an interview with DeJoy, and my conclusion was that he’s not exactly the sharpest tool in the box, and certainly not at all articulate. But he also knows which team put him on the field.

9 Likes
17

Stochastic ballot destruction. Is it “organized”? “Coordinated”? Maybe not by the standard definitions. Was it “incited”? That seems a pretty firm conclusion.

5 Likes
18

Clark county Washington is a plus five Biden county. In effect, it’s 50/50. Bombing ballot boxes is not about affecting the vote, it’s about suppressing the vote. It is terrorism.

I stand by my original comment, and I don’t think that conspiracy thinking is helpful.

4 Likes
19

So what happens to the ballots that happen to be in the box when it’s torched? Too bad so sad?? How does one go about determining whether or not their ballot was counted? I’m guessing the responsibility is entirely on the voter? If they don’t receive a receipt that their ballot was counted within a few days, is that supposed to spark concern from the voter, and then how do they get to recast their ballot? I really can’t adequately express how much this infuriates me—this is domestic terrorism, plain and simple.

5 Likes
20

I live in Portland and always drop off my ballot at the library where there’s a dropbox. While I appreciate the convenience of prepaid USPS envelopes, I know it’s going to arrive on time dropping it off.

Economically anxious Volvo driver is going to end up in an affiliate J6 choir.

19 Likes