Fire intentionally set inside ballot box in Baldwin Park, officials say

[demmiblue]

Source: ABC 7

BALDWIN PARK, Calif. (KABC) -- A fire inside a ballot drop box in Baldwin Park may have compromised dozens of votes.

The incident happened around 8 p.m. Sunday in front of the city's public library.

Firefighters say someone purposely tossed burning newspaper into the official drop box.

Arson investigators have not yet released information about how many ballots were destroyed.

Read more: https://abc7.com/fire-intentionally-set-inside-baldwin-park-ballot-box-officials/7155522/

[Sherman A1]

1. A$$holea

[SheltieLover]

2. Here we go, folks.

These boxes need to be guarded 24/7!

[CaptYossarian]

14. Our side can be poll watchers too.

In the late 60s, I saw a teenager dump a bottle of Pepsi into a mailbox on Armitage Ave. in Chicago. Since hearing of these ballot boxes, I thought they'd do that first. I don't have a Republican's evil imagination.

What was Bill Barr's whereabouts during this arson?

[minidriver]

58. Probably buying a bunch of glass bottles, gasoline, and oily rags

Nothing to see though folks, move along. /snark

[CurtEastPoint]

3. I wondered about that. our boxes have a VERY slim opening but I guess if someone wants to...

they could burn it, too. Assholes.

[Karma13612]

56. A lit match might fit, and if it stays lit........

[lagomorph777]

4. Was there a security camera?

Shouldn't that be required for every box?

[Baitball Blogger]

9. Let's see. We all know that Republicans will do whatever they can do suppress the

vote, so why bother setting up security cameras?

One asshole decision, after the other.

[lagomorph777]

10. Is Baldwin Park a red area?

I am not familiar with it, being across the country.

[blm]

12. Diverse.

Most being Black, then Hispanic, Asian, and some Caucasians.

[Lasher]

23. Blue, then

[Bengus81]

34. Gosh...and a fire just happened there. What a shock..........

Man I hope there is video of this.............

[wryter2000]

39. What I read one AA person recommend here

Drive your ballot to an upscale white neighborhood to drop it in the box.

I know the USPS is having problems, but they got my ballot to the right place within a few days. Maybe people should be using that option, instead. The election is still 2 weeks away.

[demmiblue]

45. Important: be sure to know the state rules regarding that...

in Michigan, you can only use the drop boxes in the jurisdiction where you are registered.

[wryter2000]

60. Wow. I had no idea

The USPS has taken care of my ballot. Thanks for the warning for others.

[SunSeeker]

66. No, it's very blue.

Baldwin Park has been called the Black Beverly Hills. It started out as a black upper middle class suburb, but it has diversified since, although still predominantly people of color.

[reACTIONary]

29. In front of a library, I would guess yes. nt

[not_the_one]

5. This is part of the plan, folks.

n/t

[Maeve]

6. This is one of the reasons given for limited drop boxes

They have to be secure and observed (and even cameras can be compromised). There are ways to do it, but you now have to guard against malice as well.

[Historic NY]

50. So they don't have that many to torch.

[RAB910]

7. Trump supporters are anti-American terrorists

They love stealing Biden signs as well

[CanonRay]

19. Yes, I've had three stolen so far

plus the sign I put up calling them thieves.

[bedazzled]

26. Put up a sign telling them you donate $25 to Biden

Each time you replace the sign. Bet it stops

[CanonRay]

32. I did. They stole that too.

[bedazzled]

33. You have some hard core assholes around

Where do you live?

[CanonRay]

49. Oregon coast, the county is blue,

but my town is about 50-50. There's a half dozen really angry nasty suckers around.

[bedazzled]

54. You can't judge a whole area from a few fools

Except where I am. Florida. Somewhat of a lost cause

[Bengus81]

35. Someone around here put razor blades taped to the back side edges of their signs......

They were 100% on their property--not out on the parking and should be touched by no one except the home owner. Steal those at 2am fuckers!

[vercetti2021]

46. I have signs up with notes on them

Smile you're on camera! P.S we own guns.

Yeah I'd shoot them in the ass if they attempt it

[rockfordfile]

65. I agree

[BComplex]

8. They need to have cameras everywhere they have a ballot drop box. There are going to

be more and more of these saboteurs out during this season.

We need to "lock them up!"

[Le Roi de Pot]

18. NJ has them .. but the miscreants can wear a ski mask and cameras are useless

[IADEMO2004]

11. Sedition?

[TigressDem]

13. I hope they were caught on camera

And get the maximum sentence for ballot tampering.

[Boogiemack]

15. So, this means to me that no drop box should be placed where there are no cameras.

An announcement is needed to let the voters who used that box to either re-do their ballots, if possible, or vote in person Nov. 3.

[pandr32]

36. +1

People should be able to check to see if their ballot was received and if not have a replacement sent.

[SledDriver]

16. Republicans can't win without cheating

[iluvtennis]

21. +++++ agree. nt

[Le Roi de Pot]

17. I knew this is going to happen --- common 3rd world tactic

Destroy ballot boxes in areas unfavorable to your candidate

[pandr32]

37. I'm sure it's Trump approved, too

No way will he speak out against it.

[IronLionZion]

20. Terrorism

Trying to undermine an election and destroy votes.

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Here in Philly I think all absentee ballot drop boxes

are actually INSIDE either the regular Board of Elections offices or inside the satellite office facilities and there are staff with them who inform you that YOU must insert the ballot in the unit because they are not allowed to touch them. The one I used wasn't actually a big metal box but appeared to be a rolling cloth-covered "mail cart" with a "lid" that had a slit in it to insert the ballot. There is nothing out on the street from what I gather. They originally had one outside of City Hall during the primary but I think that (or equivalent) is now inside a room and monitored.

[Crowman2009]

41. Yeah, I don't like the idea of an unprotected drop box out in the open.

Boxes inside state, county, or municipal buildings are a better idea.

[BumRushDaShow]

44. I guess they had figured people had been so conditioned

to not mess with boxes like that (from decades worth of threats about defacing/damaging similar receptacles - U.S. mail boxes) that no one thought that someone would stoop so low. But that is where this country is now with the GOP around.

[PatrickforO]

24. Maybe we ought to go like the Brits and have ubiquitous CCTV. n/t

[George II]

25. Thankfully there's about 100% chance of there being surveillance cameras around.

[Rebl2]

31. Hope so

[Lock him up.]

53. But if the criminal arsonist(s?) wear ski masks...

... cameras would be useless.

[durablend]

27. I'm almost betting on

Bomb threats at polling places. Nothing they won't stoop to.

[C Moon]

28. I was waiting for this to start happening. They pick up ballots in California every 48 hours.

They should do it more often to prevent this kind of thing destroying too many ballots.

[Retrograde]

62. Check with your county: mine starts daily pickup this week

Remember that ballots are tracked: the county will soon know which ones are in good enough shape to read and can mark them as received, or if the signatures are too charred, contact the affected voters. Voters who dropped off their ballots here and do not receive a verification in a reasonable amount of time can request a replacement or provisional ballot on election or early voting days. It's more work on the part of the voter, but the system is designed to handle it

If and when the arsonists are caught they face felony charges.

[C Moon]

63. +1

[Rebl2]

30. That is

why I would never drop a ballot in drop box. I figured we would hear a story like this eventually.

[NorthOf270]

38. I certainly would not drop it overnight

Trumpeters will do whatever they can to save his fat ass.

[Rebl2]

51. Someone from

CA posted earlier that they pick up ballots (in CA) from those boxes every 48 hours. If true, that is ridiculous. Should be picked up every day! Hope there was a camera trained right on that ballot drop box. Also hope it was a legitimate box. Remember hearing last week the GOP were setting up their own boxes. Hope there is an investigation in to that. Best bet is take it to your election board or take it into a post office to mail it. If I mail anything I always take it inside my post office and drop it in a mail slot. Seems around here (KCMO suburb) there is a lot of mail stolen from mail boxes.

[Crowman2009]

40. How much do you wanna bet the suspect is a Qanon terrorist?

[c-rational]

42. Let MSM report this.

[cayugafalls]

43. Dump needs to go to jail for inciting election violence and fraud.

His constant yammering has emboldened and given orders to his stupid and ignorant low life followers that they can do anything to win.

Joe had better prosecute the bastard.

None of this presidential forgiveness crap, Joe, dump needs to go to jail.

[Ligyron]

47. If the ballots are screwed up or burnt and unusable it doesn't matter if there's a camera or not.

Does it?

Other than for prosecuting the offenders, which should totally happen, of course.

Signs that say Smile, you're on candid camera may help prevent it to some extent though.

Now watch, we'll have copycats.

[SWBTATTReg]

48. Idiots. They did this in front of a public library, which I suspect has cameras in front and back

of the ballot box (and the street too, will have possibly cameras). Obviously some right wing nuts thought that they could destroy some votes by catching the ballots in the drop off ballot box on fire. Idiots. RWNJs are that scared.

Politics & Voting in Baldwin Park, California The Political Climate in Baldwin Park, CA is Strongly liberal. Los Angeles County, CA is Moderately liberal. In Los Angeles County, CA 71.8% of the people voted Democrat in the last presidential election, 22.4% voted Republican, and the remaining 5.8% voted Independent.

[Mad Lib]

52. Our local ballot drop box

We dropped our ballots off at the local public library on Saturday. The drop box was on a table outside the building but was attended by 2 poll workers who observed the whole process. The drop box itself was small enough that it could be easily moved to a secure location when not attended. Seemed like a good, safe system to me.

[Karma13612]

55. Yup

Another reason I prefer to vote early inperson. I already feared this.
I also have been concerned about drop boxes simply being overlooked and the contents not picked up in time for their state’s deadline.

A month later:

Oh oh! Look ! We “forgot“ this box with thousands of ballots in it.

[honest.abe]

57. Not surprised. This is easy enough for most anyone to do this.

In my area near College Park MD, the opening of the box is fairly large... you can fit your hand inside. However, there are police watching the drop boxes. Not sure if they are there all night however.

The Trumpanzes think they can invalidate the vote doing crazy shit like this. It wont work. The numbers are going to be overwhelming. A few burned ballots wont matter.

[bluestarone]

59. To my knowledge this has NEVER happened before?

ONLY RUMP people are capable of this!! and ANYTHING else!

[Beacool]

61. Anything to undermine this election.

The drop-off box in my town is by city hall. There are outdoor cameras and it's being watched. Every day the ballots are removed and processed. I voted last Wednesday and my ballot was received and processed on Friday. Easy-peasy, but then again, this is a Democratic town and no one is going mess with our ballots without facing consequences.

[pfitz59]

64. The drop boxes in Washington State have an envelope-sized slot

Impossible to get anything larger inside.