Authorities believe the man suspected of setting fires in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington is an experienced metalworker and may be planning additional attacks.

The police said they had not determined a motive for the arson fires in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. But the messages have heightened the sensitivity of the investigation.

Two fire-suppressant devices inside the box sensed the blaze and released a flame retardant powder in time for only three ballots to be damaged. Vancouver voters were less lucky. The two fire suppressants inside that ballot box, made by Fort Knox Mailbox ...

It's too late to mail in your early ballot. But you can still fill out your early ballot at home and submit it via drop box. Just make sure you drop it off before 7 p.m. on Election Day. As in previous election cycles, most voters are expected to cast early ballots rather than come out to the polls.

Federal authorities are investigating fires at two ballot boxes reported Monday morning in the Portland, Oregon, area that destroyed hundreds of ballots at one location, as well as another fire reported earlier this month.

Ballot drop boxes have been in the spotlight for the last four years, targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories that falsely claimed they were responsible for massive voter fraud in 2020.

Two ballot drop box fires in the Pacific Northwest this week have stoked concerns about election security and the risk of violence in the 2024 election days before voting concludes. Arson burned hundreds of ballots in what one official called “a direct attack on democracy” in Vancouver,

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advises election officials to put drop boxes in high-traffic areas such as libraries