A series of attacks on ballot collection boxes across the United States is ratcheting up the pressure on state and local officials, who are hoping to oversee a safe and peaceful presidential election, both for early voting underway across much of the country and for when millions of Americans go to the polls next week.
The Northwest U.S. state of Washington confirmed to VOA Monday that local police and the FBI are investigating reports of a suspected “incendiary device” that was placed in a ballot drop box in Vancouver, Washington, early Monday.
Officials said no one was injured but that some of the ballots were damaged. Video obtained by local media showed firefighters responding to the scene, with some of the ballots burning on the ground.
Officials across state lines, in nearby Portland, Oregon, reported one of their ballot boxes was also attacked with an incendiary device, about 30 minutes earlier. But a fire suppressant system inside the collection box prevented damage to all but three of the ballots.
“Make no mistake, an attack on a ballot box is an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable,” said Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade in a statement shared with VOA.
Washington state’s secretary of state likewise condemned the apparent attacks.
“I strongly denounce any acts of terror that aim to disrupt lawful and fair elections in Washington state,” said Steve Hobbs. “We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process.”
The attacks on ballot boxes in Washington and Oregon follow last week’s attack on a mailbox with election ballots in Phoenix, Arizona, in the country’s Southwest. Officials there arrested a suspect for setting fire to the mailbox, damaging about 20 ballots.
The spate of attacks on mailboxes and ballot collection boxes comes as U.S. security officials are issuing new warnings about potential election-related violence at the hands of U.S.-based extremists.
“We expect DVEs [domestic violent extremists] will pose the most significant physical threat to government officials, voters, and elections-related personnel and infrastructure,” the Department of Homeland Security said in an unclassified assessment issued in late September.
Potential targets, the assessment said, included, “polling places, ballot drop box locations, voter registration sites, campaign events, political party offices, and vote counting sites.”
The DHS assessment warned the biggest threat likely stems from what it describes as “anti-government or anti?authority DVEs [domestic violent extremists], many of whom likely will be inspired by partisan policy grievances or conspiracy theories.”
The DHS and FBI have also amplified their warnings in a series of nonpublic security bulletins sent to police agencies across the country, some of which were obtained by Property of the People, a nonprofit group that describes itself as “dedicated to the aggressive pursuit of governmental transparency.”
Some of the bulletins reviewed by VOA cited growing calls on social media for attacks on ballot collection boxes as well as growing calls for civil war following the attempted assassination of former President and Republican candidate Donald Trump this past July.
“The United States remains in a heightened, dynamic threat environment and we continue to share information with our law enforcement partners about the threats posed by domestic violent extremists in the context of the 2024 election,” a DHS spokesperson told VOA, when asked about the bulletins.
“DHS continues to work with our partners to evaluate and mitigate emerging threats that may arise from domestic or foreign actors,” the spokesperson added. “The department continues to advise federal, state, and local partners to remain vigilant to potential threats and encourages the public to report any suspicious activity to local authorities.”
While U.S. security officials believe the biggest threat of violence may come from U.S.-based anti-government or anti?authority extremists, U.S. intelligence officials have raised concerns that adversaries like Iran and Russia may also be pushing them to carry out attacks. (VOA, excluding headline)
•PHOTO: First responders pull out the burning contents of a ballot box after it was set on fire in a suspected arson in Vancouver, Washington, Oct. 28, 2024, in a still image from video. (Evan Bell/ABC Affiliate KATU via Reuters)
Outrage as commissioner pledges to ‘sustain poverty’
Public outrage has greeted a statement by Habu James Philip, the Taraba State Commissioner for Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, after he was captured on a live television programme vowing to “sustain poverty” in the state.
The controversial remark was made at a forum in China, where the commissioner claimed to have “learned new methods of sustaining poverty.”
The video of his pronouncement, which went viral on social media, has drawn sharp criticisms from residents of Taraba State, who are grappling with the rising cost of living and other associated economic challenges with many demanding the immediate removal of the commissioner.
Not a few of those who spoke described his comments as a disgrace to the state and an insult to their struggles.
“This is an embarrassment to the entire state. How can a government official, whose job is to alleviate poverty, proudly declare that he will sustain it?” asked Suleiman Usman, a civil servant in Jalingo.
“This is not only shameful but a direct attack on the people suffering under the current economic hardship,” he added.
Miriam Aboki, a market trader in Wukari, expressed frustration over the statement. “We are already struggling to make ends meet. The cost of food and basic necessities has skyrocketed. For someone in his position to speak like this and in China, a country that has been helping us with loans shows how disconnected this commissioner is from the reality on the ground. He needs to be removed from his office immediately.”
The commissioner’s comment has also been condemned by activists and community leaders, who argue that his words reflect poorly on Governor Agbu Kefas and his administration.
“Governor Kefas has shown commitment to improving the lives of Taraba citizens, but comments like this from his appointees are undermining his efforts,” said Paul Dogoson, a youth leader in Lau. “The governor should take swift action to replace him before more damage is done.”
Despite the backlash, the state government has yet to issue an official response to the commissioner’s statement.
However, the Hon. Emma Bello, who is the S.A. Media and Digital Communication to the state governor, when confronted with the viral video and contacted to respond to the issue, said, “My response is that this issue might have been a bad case of the proverbial Freudian slip. Governor Agbu Kefas is all about dealing a death blow on poverty.
“In fact, the youthful commissioner in charge of the ministry is an example of how Dr. Kefas is fighting unemployment in the state by basically tapping into youth energy. The governor’s cabinet is made up of young people. Beyond them, the governor continues to work hard to create new jobs through innovations and ICT.
“To further cushion the effect of national poverty, the governor has introduced free education at the primary and secondary school levels while slashing tertiary tuition fees by half. Relatedly, he has paid backlogs of gratuities and pensions and is now on his way to implementing the new minimum wage,” Bello defended. (The PUNCH)
