Burning ballots were pulled from the smoking ballot box in Vancouver; Hundreds of ballots were lost

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Authorities say hundreds of ballots were burned in an arson attack at a ballot box in Vancouver on Monday morning.

KATU was on the scene shortly after 4 a.m. at the Fisher's Landing Transit Center in Vancouver where heavy smoke was billowing from a ballot box.

Our photographer captured gray smoke rising steadily from the park-and-ride ballot drop box at Fisher's Landing Transit Center near Southeast 162nd Avenue shortly after 6 a.m

Several police units were in the area and the ballot box was cordoned off with police tape as smoke continued.

Around 6:30 a.m., KATU captured footage of first responders throwing a pile of actively burning ballots onto the ground, which continued to smolder and smoke heavily even after the flames were extinguished.

The Clark County auditor told us the last ballot collection at that location was at 8 a.m. Sunday. There were hundreds of ballots inside at the time of the burning, and KATU was told that only a few might be able to be saved.

Voters who cast their ballots at this location after 11 a.m. Saturday must IMMEDIATELY contact the Auditor of Elections office to receive a new ballot.

A link to the Clark County Elections page with contact information for the Auditor's Office can be found HERE.

Vancouver police released the following statement at 9 a.m.:

At approximately 4:00 a.m. this morning, Vancouver Police responded to an arson at a ballot box at 3510 SE 164th Ave. The ballot box was reportedly smoking and burning. Officers arrived and discovered a suspicious device next to the box. The ballot box smoked and burned. Members of the Metro Explosive Disposal Unit (MEDU) arrived, safely retrieved the device and the fire was extinguished. Detectives from the Vancouver Police Arson Team and Vancouver Fire Marshals also responded.

The FBI continues to investigate this incident.

Just hours earlier, Portland police responded to an arson fire at a ballot drop box in Southeast Portland.

READ MORE:An incendiary device was set off at the ballot box in Southeast Portland, causing a fire

According to investigators, an incendiary device was ignited in the box, causing a fire.

The fire was extinguished and the unit evacuated and the PPB is investigating the incident. The status of the ballots in the burned box was not disclosed.

Editor's note: The Clark County Auditor's Office originally told KATU that the last ballot collection was at 8 a.m. Sunday. They later corrected this to 11 a.m. Saturday.