A mailbox was set on fire early Thursday in Phoenix, damaging a small number of ballots delivered to the box.
Local media reported the incident on Thursday, citing police and fire officials who said the United States Postal Service mailbox was on fire around 1:30 a.m. local time. It is now part of a criminal investigation, ABC15 reports.
The exact number of affected ballots is not yet certain: Police initially said about 20 were damaged, but Arizona’s secretary of state said it believes a handful were affected, ABC reported.
Democratic Mayor Kate Gallego said on Twitter/X that she was concerned about the voting fire. “There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we work with every level of government to bring the perpetrator to justice,” she wrote.
The Maricopa County Recorder’s office is encouraging all voters who dropped off their ballot at the drop box, near 7th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix, in the past 36 hours to check the status of their ballot online.
“Voters should be aware that tomorrow, October 25, is the last day to request a replacement ballot,” Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said in a statement.
Related: Delays at the US Postal Service threaten to disrupt the electoral vote, officials say
It is not clear whether the fire was intended to destroy ballots. But Arizona election officials have been preparing for months for acts of violence or destruction because of the close election and troubling activity in previous elections, such as drop box monitoring during the 2022 midterm elections.
The Wall Street Journal recently highlighted how election offices now have new barricades and will use police drones and snipers to patrol the outside of their buildings. Some election workers have undergone active-shooter training and learned to “wield fire hoses to fend off armed mobs,” the newspaper reported.
In addition, police this week arrested a man in Phoenix for shooting at Democratic National Committee offices there and posted anti-democratic signs outside his home with razor blades and an unknown white powder attached to them. The man had amassed 120 guns and 250,000 rounds of ammunition, leading prosecutors to believe he was preparing to commit mass casualty.
And in another incident, a school district employee in Tempe, Arizona, was arrested for threats he made against Donald Trump Jr. last week. and Charlie Kirk. The man sent threatening responses to an automated text message seeking RSVPs for an event the two Republicans were holding in town.
