Portland police: Ballot box fire suspect has ‘wealth’ of metalworking experience

The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is searching for a suspect with a “wealth of experience in metal fabrication and welding” connected to three arsons at ballot boxes in the city and in Vancouver, Washington.

Mike Benner with PPB made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday, adding that investigators believe the suspect is a white man, in his 30s to 40s, with a thin face and bald head or short hair. An early 2000s Volvo was spotted approaching one of the drop boxes shortly before the fire, police previously announced. KOIN in Portland reported authorities believe the S-60 sedan is dark-colored with a tan interior and may also be missing a Volvo emblem.

Previous coverage: Incendiary attacks on ballot drop boxes in Washington, Oregon spark election security concerns

Earlier in the day, The New York Times and multiple other media outlets reported that pro-Palestinian messages were discovered on the devices used to burn the ballot boxes, but that investigators were not sure whether the suspect was truly an activist or someone trying to cause chaos.

“It’s difficult to determine what the motive is on this,” former King County Sheriff John Urquhart told KIRO Newsradio. “At this point, until (investigators) really catch the suspect, we’re not going to know.”

On Monday morning, a fire erupted at a ballot drop box in Portland and then shortly after at another drop box in Vancouver. Police said they believe the incidents are connected but did not reveal what evidence links them.

Urquhart stressed that any suspected motive – including the reported “Free Gaza” marking – will not impact the professionalism from the team of investigators, which includes PPB, Vancouver Police Department, FBI and other agencies.

“Even if it’s true, it’s not going to change the way these crimes are being investigated – they’re very serious crimes, they strike the heart of democracy,” he said.

Hundreds of ballots were damaged from the Vancouver drop box, and officials said they are working on contacting the voters to inform them. Officials said only three ballots from the Portland drop box were damaged.

In response, elections officials in King, Pierce and Thurston Counties have all pledged to increase the frequency of ballot pickups at their boxes.

“Constructed of steel, weighing in at over 1,000 pounds, with no pry points and multiple locking mechanisms, and equipped with fire stops, official ballot drop boxes are a secure and convenient way for voters to return their ballot,” an emailed statement from King County Elections read.

King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall said deputies on patrol have been briefed about drop box locations.

County Council member Reagan Dunn quickly called for action to address voting safety issues.

“When we go to an all-mail election, like we have in King County, it means that the drop boxes are even more important,” he told KIRO Newsradio. “We’ve also made sure that the security within those boxes themselves is at least industry-standard or better. It’d be really hard to throw an incendiary device into our drop boxes.”

In Pierce County, Auditor Linda Farmer said elections workers will now be picking up ballots on Sunday, in addition to daily pickups leading up to November 5.

“Our ballot drop boxes are identical to the ones that Multnomah County (Oregon) has,” Farmer said, noting the shared fire suppression systems that may have saved hundreds of ballots in Portland. “In fact, they took the lead from us on those drop boxes and ordered from the same company.”

That company, her office said, is Puyallup-based LaserFabUSA, which supplies the VoteArmor line of boxes to King County, too.

“We have every expectation that if somebody tries to start a fire that it will be quickly extinguished,” Farmer said.

Other news: Allegations former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz ‘untruthful’ with investigators

Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall said the same fire suppression technology is in their boxes, too.

“This weekend, we are adding extra ballot pickup routes to ensure your ballots are collected safely and promptly,” Hall wrote in the press release. “Furthermore, on election night, our ballot drop box collection teams will be followed by Thurston County Sheriff Deputies to provide added security.”

While Washington and Oregon are not considered swing states, the race for Washington’s 3rd House District – which includes Vancouver – could decide which party controls the House of Representatives.

“This close to this highly contested election, it’s concerning,” Urquhart said.

“Don’t let this dissuade you from voting, the fact that maybe something bad may happen to your ballot,” he added. “Because chances are that’s not going to happen. There’s several million that are going to be cast. We’ve lost 400 that probably can be reconstructed. That part’s a good thing if they have the ability to do that.”

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Sam’s stories here. Follow Sam on X, or email him here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/HeySamCampbell