PORTLAND, Ore. — Incendiary devices were set off Monday at two ballot drop boxes — one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington — destroying hundreds of ballots in what one official called a “direct attack on democracy” about a week before a heated Election Day.

The early morning fire at the drop box in Portland was extinguished quickly thanks to a suppression system inside the box as well as a nearby security guard, police said, and just three ballots were damaged there.

The boxes in Washington and Portland both had fire suppression systems but in one it failed to prevent hundreds of ballots from burning{ai:summary}<p>Incendiary devices were detonated at two ballot drop boxes in Portland and Vancouver, destroying hundreds of ballots ahead of Election Day. Officials described the incidents as a "direct attack on democracy." </p><p>The fire at the Portland drop box was quickly contained, resulting in minimal damage. #politics</p>

Hundreds of U.S. election ballots destroyed after fires set in two drop boxes

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