Early Monday morning, police in Portland discovered an incendiary device inside a ballot box after responding to reports of a fire around 3:30 a.m. Investigators believe the device was used to start the fire. In a similar incident that same day, a ballot box was set on fire in Vancouver, Washington, where firefighters had to force the box open, causing ballots to scatter as they worked to extinguish the flames. The FBI is currently investigating these attacks, and affected voters are encouraged to check the status of their ballots with local election authorities.

A similar case of tampering unfolded last week in Phoenix, Arizona, when a man allegedly set a USPS mailbox on fire, damaging about 20 mail-in ballots, according to the Daily Caller. According to reports, the suspect claimed the act was unrelated to politics but admitted he did it in an attempt to be apprehended. Incidents like these underscore the vulnerabilities in the ballot collection process, whether in drop boxes or mail-in systems.

Election integrity has become an urgent priority following the 2020 election, when questions about the security of absentee voting were widely debated. The Heritage Foundation, has been vocal about the need for robust election security measures to prevent fraud and safeguard voters’ confidence. In assessing each state’s approach in its “Election Integrity Scorecard,” Heritage identified best practices, such as requiring photo identification for in-person voting, accurate maintenance of voter registration lists, and effective ballot tracking systems.

Despite recent improvements, the Foundation notes that no state has achieved a perfect score, highlighting that vulnerabilities remain. In states with less stringent laws, fraud could go undetected, particularly in cases involving absentee voting and lax verification measures. Heritage’s recommendations include voting in person when possible to avoid issues with mail delays or lost ballots.

With early voting underway and more states moving toward mail-in options, safeguarding ballots has become a central concern for Americans across the political spectrum. The hope is that increased security measures will help to prevent incidents like those in Portland, Vancouver, and Phoenix, ultimately contributing to a more transparent and trustworthy electoral process.