VANCOUVER, Washington (KPTV) – Authorities believe the ballot box fires in Vancouver and Portland are related.

The Vancouver fire was started at the C-TRAN Park and Ride at Fisher's Landing Transit Center. It was reported that someone attached a device to the outside of the box, which started the fire.

Election officials say hundreds of ballots were burned.

The final ballot papers were collected from the ballot box at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 26th. Anyone who cast a ballot in the ballot box after 11 a.m. Saturday should contact the Clark County elections office.

Detectives from the Vancouver Police Arson Team and Vancouver Fire Marshals responded.

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Around 3:30 a.m., Portland police responded to a fire at a ballot drop box near the Multnomah County elections office. When officers arrived at the polls, police said the fire had already been extinguished by security forces working in the area.

According to Multnomah County, there was fire extinguisher in the ballot box and only three ballots were damaged. Election officials will contact those voters so they can receive replacement ballots.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, police said they believe the two incidents are connected. They also believe an incident that occurred in Vancouver on October 8th is also related.

The FBI is investigating this incident and the one in Portland:

“The FBI is working with federal, state and local partners to actively investigate the two incidents in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon, in the early morning hours of Monday, October 28, and determine who is responsible for it.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest FBI office and provide information Tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324).

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