In October 2024, an image posted to the subreddit r/pics claimed to show a member of law enforcement saving ballots for the 2024 U.S. presidential election from a smoking ballot drop box in Vancouver, Washington.
The image was posted following reports of two connected acts of arson on ballot boxes in Vancouver and nearby Portland, Oregon. According to The Associated Press, the Portland fire damaged just three ballots, thanks to a fire suppression system in the ballot box. While the Vancouver box also had a fire suppression system, it proved ineffective, and hundreds of ballots reportedly were destroyed.
(Pup5581 on Reddit)
In the Reddit thread, one user commented, "I work for a municipality with a ballot drop box out front. There is a requirement to have cameras on the box 24/7, and the footage is (often) provided to the County during election season for record keeping purposes."
The viral image in question is indeed authentic, as it is a screenshot taken from a video of the scene that can be viewed on the AP's YouTube channel.
While the image is genuine, it's hard to say whether the ballots were actually "saved" undamaged — particularly since hundreds were destroyed — or simply removed as part of the attempt to extinguish the fire.
While Washington and Oregon are not considered swing states in the presidential election, the AP noted that, "Vancouver is the biggest city in Washington's 3rd Congressional District, the site of what is expected to be one of the closest U.S. House races in the country, between first-term Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican challenger Joe Kent."
In a written statement, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said: "This was a violent attack on democracy, and we will do everything to keep our election system strong and secure in Washington. … There will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations."
Portland police said evidence connected the incidents in Oregon and Washington, and a camera captured a suspect vehicle. According to the The New York Times, the devices were marked with the words "Free Gaza." The same report revealed that investigators uncovered a third device, believed to be connected to these incidents, earlier in the month with the same phrase as well as the words "Free Palestine."
The Times reported:
Investigators are trying to determine if the perpetrator was actually a pro-Palestinian activist or someone using that prominent cause to sow discord, one of the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. But the message has added a heightened layer of political sensitivity to a closely watched investigation in the final days of a tense presidential election.
Snopes has written about ballot boxes in the past, including rumors during the 2020 election that California Republicans set up fake drop boxes, claims that "ballot drops" have unfairly swung elections and reports of voters depositing multiple ballots.