Police in Portland, Oregon, released details about a suspect connected to ballot box fires in Portland and Vancouver, Washington, and are asking the public for help.
A news release Wednesday from the Portland Police Bureau described the suspect as a "Caucasian male, 30-40 years of age, very short hair or balding, thin to medium build, thin face, wearing a dark shirt, highly knowledgeable in both metal fabrication and welding."
Police said the suspect's vehicle might be a "2001-2004 Volvo S60, more matte in color than a standard shiny finish in places, tan or light gray interior, aftermarket grill with Volvo emblem missing, dark wheels, unpainted body trim, no front license plate."
They are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect or the vehicle.
On Wednesday, authorities said incendiary devices believed to have started the fires reportedly were inscribed with the phrase "Free Gaza." But they said a motive remains unknown.
In Portland, fire suppression inside the ballot box limited damage to just three ballots. In Vancouver, similar suppression failed, resulting in damage to more than 485 ballots. Election officials in Clark County said Wednesday they've received requests from 345 voters seeking replacement ballots. Six ballots were unidentifiable, and election staff are working to identify other voters whose ballots might have been damaged or destroyed.
Clark County is reminding voters to avoid unofficial ballot boxes, saying in a news release Thursday: "There may be individuals and groups in the county that have set up boxes and invited voters to place their ballots in that box. This is known as ballot harvesting. Please know that these are not official ballot drop boxes and not affiliated with the Clark County Elections Office."
Vancouver police also issued a statement encouraging voters to use the "official ballot drop box at the Elections Office."
Following these incidents, multiple counties in Washington state have ramped up ballot box security. In Snohomish County, private security is now monitoring boxes 24/7 and ballot pickups are being rigorously tracked. King County has doubled its collection frequency for high-traffic boxes and boosted local law enforcement oversight as Election Day approaches.