Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) released the following statement regarding a ballot drop box being set on fire at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center this morning:

“Early this morning, a ballot drop box was set on fire at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of ballots. I am incredibly thankful to the local first responders who quickly arrived on scene, put out the fire, and salvaged the ballots they could.

There is absolutely zero place in our democracy for political violence or interference against our fellow citizens, election workers, or voting infrastructure. I hope the perpetrator of this reprehensible act is quickly apprehended – and local and federal law enforcement have my full support in working to keep our democratic process safe and secure.

Our right to vote needs to be protected under all circumstances. We can’t yield to intimidation, and we must continue to stand up against unpatriotic acts such as this one. Your vote matters, so I encourage everyone who dropped off a ballot this weekend at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center to get in touch with the Clark County Elections Office and request a replacement.

I am requesting an overnight law enforcement presence be posted at all ballot drop boxes in Clark County through Election Day. Southwest Washington cannot risk a single vote being lost to arson and political violence. I’ll continue to closely monitor this situation and share resources and updates with constituents who may have been affected.”

According to the Clark County Auditor, the drop box, located at 3510 SE 164th Ave., was last emptied Saturday, October 26 at 11:00 a.m.

You can check the status of your ballot here and request a replacement ballot at clark.wa.gov/elections/need-replacement-ballot. The Clark County Elections Office can also be reached at (564) 397-2345 or elections@clark.wa.gov.

Today’s incident comes after a suspicious device was found at a ballot drop box in downtown Vancouver earlier this month.