Arson suspected after ballot drop box in California catches fire

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Dozens of ballots were damaged after a ballot box burst into flames on Sunday in Baldwin Park, California, according to CBS Los Angeles report. 
• Witnesses said firefighters who were on the scene snuffed out the flames inside the burning box before cutting off the top of the box to remove the ballots. 
• The fire report which is now under investigation is being treated by county fire officials as an arson incident.

A mail-in ballot drop off-box in Baldwin Park, California, caught on fire on Sunday, damaging dozens of ballots and prompting authorities to launch an arson investigation, CBS Los Angeles reported.

Witnesses on the scene reported “burning inside” the ballot box with heavy smoke coming out of it. Firefighters who responded to the fire reports inserted a hose into the slot to douse the flames then proceeded to cut off the top of the box to retrieve the ballots.

It isn’t immediately clear how the fire started, but the news outlet said there were roughly 60 to 100 ballots that were damaged.  

The Los Angeles County registrar’s office which is reportedly treating it as a possible arson incident, has also reported the incident to the FBI and the state attorney general’s office.

The incident comes just a few days following an agreement by the California Republican Party and California state officials regarding the setting up of unofficial ballot boxes around the state by the state GOP.

The party, according to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s announcement on Friday, had agreed to stop the use of the boxes despite initially saying that they planned to continue collecting ballots.

Given the coronavirus pandemic, many people are expected to avoid voting on Election Day to protect public health. 

Experts predict that the use of ballot boxes would lead to a greater boost in mail-in voting resulting in the highest percentage of eligible voters casting their votes since 1908.

Source: The Hill