Numerous ballot boxes were set on fire during the early voting stage of elections, resulting in hundreds of ballot boxes being either damaged or set ablaze in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. However, tampering with a ballot box is a felony that carries a legal consequence of imprisonment..
As of Nov. 5, police forces still have not identified the suspect. Nevertheless, descriptions of the suspect have been disclosed to the public. The culprit is a white male, aged between 30-40 years old, and has a medium to thin build. He is believed to be using incendiary devices to set the ballot boxes on fire, has a meticulous nature, and must have known the area. The police are also looking into a dark colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60 car, which might have provided clues to track the suspect.
Aside from law enforcement efforts, a voluntary group named “Crime Stoppers of Oregon” is giving $2,500 for information to any lead for the arrest. With the suspect still remaining unconstrained , security had been intensified around the remaining ballot boxes to ensure their security and safety.
The police secured as much of the ballots as possible. Due to the ballot boxes not containing any personal information about the voters, many citizens were left wondering if they had to redo their vote or not. This is also stressful for the staff as they need to do double the work to make sure everything is in order for votes to be counted.
As more votes are going to be counted, all Americans, specifically election staff and citizen-voters, are distressed. While there hasn’t been news of the suspect being arrested, it is undoubtedly that both Washington and Oregon police forces will tackle the case and capture the offender.
