Fires set in drop boxes destroy hundreds of ballots in Washington and damage 3 in Oregon
apnews.com
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.

  • spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works
    76·
    22 days ago

    There need to be extraordinary penalties for threatening election workers, intimidating voters, or destroying ballots. How about a minimum 20 year sentence to start?

    • x00z@lemmy.worldEnglish
      17·
      21 days ago

      20 years?

      In many countries you get the death sentence for treason like this.

      • Fedizen@lemmy.world
        71·
        21 days ago

        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.

      • FinishingDutch@lemmy.world
        3·
        21 days ago

        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.

    • InverseParallax@lemmy.worldEnglish
      162·
      22 days ago

      I’m sorry, have you seen the j6 idiots?

      Do you honestly believe they can count to 20 even after taking off their socks?

      You can’t beat stupid, you can’t scare stupid, we need to just make voting one of those things they can’t get to easily, ie make the boxes like bank drops, or some other physical means.

      Rednecks gonna redneck.

    • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldEnglish
      92·
      21 days ago

      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.