There’s no denying that this is one of the most contentious elections in American history. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous individuals have tried to throw a wrench into the election by attempting to disrupt already-cast absentee ballots from being counted.
On Monday, two incendiary devices were set off inside ballot dropboxes. The Associated Press says one dropbox was in Vancouver, Washington, while the other was in Portland, Oregon. The fire damaged only three ballots in the Portland dropbox—thanks largely to a fire suppression system built into the box. Unfortunately, despite the Vancouver dropbox also having a fire suppression system, “hundreds” of ballots inside still burned.
It’s important to note that this kind of direct attack on the electoral process, while alarming, is thankfully rare. Still, it does raise the question of how you can ensure your ballot was actually counted.
How to track your ballot to make sure it’s counted
Thankfully for the voters affected, all is not lost. As ABC News notes, 47 states offer free ballot tracking services. This allows a voter to track the status of their ballot and to make sure it was received and counted.
If you want to track your ballot for any reason, you likely can do so by contacting your local election office directly or by using their online tracking tools.
The easiest way to find the contact information for your local election office is a Google search or by using Vote.org’s handy online tool that lists various states’ online ballot tracking tools.
How are ballot boxes protected?
Despite the unsettling news of ballot box arsons in recent days, the majority of ballot boxes will make it through any election cycle unscathed. But that’s not to say that election officials are oblivious to the threats some individuals pose to ballot boxes.
In recent years, ballot boxes have become more secure. As ABC News notes, “Most ballot drop boxes are tamper proof, bolted to the ground, under 24-hour surveillance, and include fire suppression systems.”
As the Portland arson incident on Monday shows, when such protections as integrated fire suppression systems work, they can go a long way in saving most of the vulnerable ballots inside. Of course, as the Vancouver incident reveals, a ballot box’s fire suppression system isn’t a guarantee that ballots can always be protected.