Multnomah County officials have observers at each ballot box in hopes of preventing more attacks like the one on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024 in southeast Portland. (Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Gov. Tina Kotek issued a reminder against election violence on Tuesday, saying any attempts to undermine the election will be stopped.
In an email to the Capital Chronicle, spokesperson Roxy Mayer said any voter intimidation or criminal acts aimed at undermining the election would not be tolerated and that the governor’s office is closely monitoring the situation, working with local, state and federal agencies to ensure Oregonians can safely vote.
Portland has a history of election violence. Last week, an arsonist attacked a drop box outside Multnomah County Elections offices in southeast Portland before dawn. Only three ballots were damaged but could still be counted. A drop box in Vancouver was also attacked, and hundreds of ballots were destroyed because the fire suppressant there didn’t work. That was the second ballot drop box attack in Vancouver last month.
Police believe all three attacks are connected. Security footage obtained by OPB show a dark-colored Volvo pulling up to the Portland drop box, with the suspect spending about 30 seconds attaching an incendiary device to it. The car speeds away, smoke spews out of the box and it burst into flames but was quickly extinguished by fire suppressant inside the box. Police suspect an unidentified man in his 30s or 40s was responsible
Police in Portland are on alert Tuesday – and will be throughout the week – for any unrest over the results. Kotek can deploy the Oregon National Guard if needed, Mayer told the Capital Chronicle, but has not activated them yet.
“They are trained and ready to support local and state law enforcement if they reach their capacity to respond and they request National Guard assistance, just as they do for wildland fire, floods or search and rescue support,” the statement said. “Should the Oregon National Guard be activated, the role and number of troops would be determined according to the needs requested by law enforcement.”
The governor’s office is working with other government and community leaders to promote a peaceful election.
On Monday, the Oregon Department of Emergency Management activated the state’s emergency center, which acts as a central hub for various agencies during any violent or disastrous events. The center is coordinating with tribal, local, state and federal authorities and acts as an information-sharing hub to maintain “situational awareness” throughout Tuesday and manage resources on the ground.
Oregon State Police, Secretary of State’s Office, Oregon Department of Justice and Oregon State Fire Marshal are among the agencies active in the emergency center and are in a heightened state of alert to respond to any potential disruptions.
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