9mo ago

Police say fires set at ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington are connected; ‘suspect vehicle’ ID'd

Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots in Washington and damage 3 in Oregon

The ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon both have fire suppression systems that are designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point, coating ballots inside with a fire-suppressing powder.

For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots in Vancouver, just across the Columbia River from Portland.

101 comments

This is the Republican plan to steal the election. When does the civil war start? I give it 6 weeks before the first casualties pile in.
- Let's not normalize it.
  
  Yes you're right, we should try toning down our rhetoric
- Are you kidding? Election day is a week away and an election clerk in San Antonio already got punched for telling somebody to take off his MAGA hat. I'm surprised nobody's been shot already.
- Assuming they catch the shitbags, I see no need for further violence.
- If it is a plan, it's pretty dumb. Of all places this act could sway the results, Oregon and Washington are pretty low on the list.
- I doubt anything happens.
  
  We might not hear about it, but there will definitely be consequences for these people when they're caught.
I hate that the Orwellian thought of ballot boxes requiring armed guards just entered my brain, because it just did. It goes against everything democracy is supposed to be, but this is where American fascism has led my thoughts to rot
- With a sufficiently not-fucking-around response to the terrorists who did it, betcha won't need guards.
  But America is gonna wrist slap nazis and say please.
  
  You can't prosecute the meth out of a redneck, America has tried for decades.
  There are people who have the basic mammalian capability for aversion association, and people who don't, these morons are no more capable of learning than ants.
  Don't bother trying to set an example, just use enforced attrition.
- It's not really orwellian.
  It's Oregon, the number of methed up rednecks without shit to do is unimaginable.
  Orwellian would be if it were planned, this is just old-fashioned redneck stupidity.
  
  I know, I just hate that this is my headspace regarding what are supposed to be free and democratic elections. It's an existential kind of dread, and it fucking sucks
Courts should fast track this one to make an example of them. Arrest them and sentence them this week.
- No, you want to wish them a complete and fair due process. Keep them behind bars in accordance with the maximum of sentencing guidelines.
- I think you're seeing the reflection of your monitor, you can stop posting that everywhere.
There need to be extraordinary penalties for threatening election workers, intimidating voters, or destroying ballots. How about a minimum 20 year sentence to start?
- 20 years?
  In many countries you get the death sentence for treason like this.
  
  So like Russia, China, North Korea... maybe these aren't the best role models.
  I'd much prefer a rehabilitation system where they tried to make the arsonist a productive member of society and maybe bar them from whatever media was instigating the demand he take action.
  
  I know, right? This sort of thing would get you a neat title like ‘enemy of democracy’ and a suitably unpleasant execution method. Like getting dropped from an aircraft into the ocean.
  It’s… probably… good the US doesn’t do it. But that’s definitely the sort of crime you should avoid anywhere outside of the US and Europe.
  
  This used to be one of them.
- I'm sorry, have you seen the j6 idiots?
  Do you honestly believe they can count to 20 even after taking off their socks?
  You can't beat stupid, you can't scare stupid, we need to just make voting one of those things they can't get to easily, ie make the boxes like bank drops, or some other physical means.
  Rednecks gonna redneck.
- I was thinking life in prison, and we haul them out every year during election season to talk about why they attacked ballot boxes, what they were trying to do, and if their life was worth throwing away for it.
This is terrorism.
Just an FYI, all of these Ballot/Mail Box fires will be pointed to when trump attempts his second coup when he loses. I cant believe I'm casually talking about a future coup attempt in my country...
This will give a fake appearance of legitimacy to his claims. I'm worried...
- And actually burns up Harris votes in the process, making it even easier for him.
  Fuckety fuck fuck.
  
  While this is a shit move by whoever is doing this, it makes virtually no difference for the presidential election. WA electoral votes are winner-takes-all, and always go Dem. A few burned boxes won't come close in making a difference for president, Biden won by almost a million votes in the last one. It will probably have a decent effect on local elections though.
  
  A lot of my Slavic people live there and they're voting red. Unless it's closer to the freeway I guess it'd be bluer there. But still. I wouldn't think that these are filled to the brim with Harris votes
- The full plan is detailed here: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/little-secret-trump-johnson-election/.
  Basically, they just need enough States to withhold submitting valid slates of electors, which are due on Dec 11th. If that doesn't happen, and it lowers the amount of electoral college voters enough so no single candidate has a majority, then the US House gets to decide.
  In other words, we're fully reliant on GOP controlled States doing the right thing. We're fucked.
  
  Oh wonderful, a new anxiety is unlocked.... Though I will say that this wouldn't happen until mid to late December, and we will have election results around Nov 6-8. This is definitely a much harder gambit with over a month of time knowing the result of the election, that is to say, it'll be much more clearly a coup than if it happened during election day. Lets just hope this is a landslide for Harris, and the chance of this being a viable option for trump being even lower.
What are these things doing outside? I don't get that. Put them inside the courthouse, post office, fire station, a million other places they'd be safe from arson.
- The problem lies in that people need to access them outside working hours due to their own work schedules, which is ultimately the point of these things. Granted, a fire station, ~~police station~~, or even a hospital lobby would be better than outside.
  Edit: ok, maybe not a police station, but y'all get my point
  
  Police station would be a terrible choice. People who aren't able to vote on election day skew poor, black, brown, and/or immigrant - exactly the groups who would be (rightly) afraid of entering a police station.
  
  Little bit concerned about a police station, both because people might feel intimidated, and votes could get 'lost'.
  
  Why not just use post boxes? Less of a concentrated target because there'll be a whole bunch of other letters in there too. At least, I don't believe my country uses special boxes just for votes
- I used a 24hr box for my ballot because I have a job at "normal" hours.
MAGA Terrorist
- That wrote "free gaza" on the incendiary devices and drives a Volvo? I mean... maybe, I guess.
  
  Where did you see that info? The article is horrible, but I am pretty sure it never said that.
I hope that vehicle ends up in a trash compactor with the occupant inside
- I hope they catch the guy alive and we prosecute the asshole and make a public example of this guy who is most likely Republican.
  
  I would bet up to $1k that this guy is Republican, but I don't actually care what party they belong to. Make an example of them.
- yOu HaVe BeEn PeRmAnEnTlY bAnNeD fRoM rEdDiT
  ThE lEfT hAs SuCh ViOlEnT rHeToRiC
  
  When ya do sarcastic text, I recommend keeping all of your “i”s lowercase and all your “L”s capital.
  …though with autocorrect on a phone, doing so can be a huge pain in the butt, more effort than it’s worth.
Waiting for the car's MAGA owner to be arrested and prosecuted. Probably expecting an eventual pardon from Bonespurs. Good luck wit dat.
I was actually surprised that more ballot boxes weren't being firebombed; I didn't know they had fire suppression systems and am glad to hear it (and also slightly shocked that they're necessary; chalk another point on the board for we've failed as a society and as a species).
- The armed forces have been voting by mail for decades (over a century).
  I love the cognitive dissonance of "patriots" who mouth platitudes for those who've served, while actively working against the same mechanisms for civilians. Brain morons.
  
  The military voted by mail in the Civil War.
  
  Vote by mail should be a federal mandate, let’s take all the money going to Israel and give it to the USPS instead for upgrades.
  My family is kinda split 50/50 politically but everyone spends time in one branch or another. That cognitive dissonance is fucking mind blowing when it’s your relative in uniform spouting the rhetoric of these stochastic terrorist shitbags
Ah yes wiping out hundreds of democrat (and some non Democrat) votes in two of the bluest cities in the north west will surely have an impact on the election.
- The Washington district that includes Vancouver has one of the most contested House races in the country this year.
  
  Glusencamp-Perez ran on opposing Biden and working with Republicans.
  Kent ran on opposing Perez for being a Democrat.
  Absolutely insane.
- One article I read said that the representative race was much closer. It might not affect the president, but could affect other positions.
- This was my first thought. Not only are they evil, they're also stupid!
fire suppression systems that are designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point
For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots
I don't think it's an "unknown" reason; the system requires a fire to have already been lit in order to activate. It's fire a suppression system, not fire prevention.
- The person who wrote the story doesn't know. It's unknown to them.
Gee. I wonder if it's a right winger. As per normal, it's totally unlikely...
Vancouver?? I told yall that foreigners were voting in our elections!!!!
/s very much needed, as some moron on Facebook is 100% sincerely saying the same thing right now.
This seems like an election fraud crime done by a poor person, so there will likely be consequences.
Not clear that vehicle has been ID'd from that story. Says Volvo, but no specifics known. Is ID from another source?
- Do you expect them to tell you the license plate number? What would make you feel better?
  
  Police usually find vehicle owners quickly when they have plate numbers. If car/owner is not home, then they will often tell public to be on lookout. They could have said colour/model or picture of Volvo if that is all they have... maybe they have all the info they need. Maybe they ask public for help later. Vehicle ID is usually enough to catch someone quickly.
  
  Yes that would make me feel better, and powerful.
- Since when do nazis drive volvos? I'd expect a Dodge RAM, E450, or huge Chevy truck
  
  Old Volvos are basically tanks. A mid-80s 240DL is almost indestructible and is great for anti-gov assholes who don't want the government spying on them.
Failed state shit.
Watch, this dude is going to be an off duty cop and the PPB will come out to accuse the red ballot boxes of not "backing da blue"
- Are you suggesting a political affiliation test for contractors? I don't see how that could go wrong.
- I don’t know why a Democrat city that is in a major deficit hires such inept construction companies thst have Trump plastered all over their construction equipment.
  Well, for starters viewpoint discrimination by a state actor is really fucking illegal..
- "There" is multiple locations.

101 comments