Police say fires set at ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington are connected; ‘suspect vehicle’ ID'd
Police say fires set at ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington are connected; ‘suspect vehicle’ ID'd
Incendiary devices have been set off at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland, Oregon, and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy."
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
I used a 24hr box for my ballot because I have a job at "normal" hours.
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.
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.
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!
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).
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.
Not clear that vehicle has been ID'd from that story. Says Volvo, but no specifics known. Is ID from another source?
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.
This seems like an election fraud crime done by a poor person, so there will likely be consequences.
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"