Burning ballots were pulled from the smoking ballot box in Vancouver; Hundreds of ballots were lost

VANCOUVER, Wash. – KATU was on scene early Monday morning at the Fisher's Landing Transit Center in Vancouver where heavy smoke was billowing from inside a ballot box.

Our photographer captured gray smoke rising steadily from the park-and-ride ballot drop box at Fisher's Landing Transit Center near Southeast 162nd Avenue shortly after 6 a.m

Several police units were in the area and the ballot box was cordoned off with police tape as smoke continued.

Around 6:30 a.m., KATU captured footage of first responders throwing a pile of actively burning ballots onto the ground, which continued to smolder and smoke heavily even after the flames were extinguished.

The Clark County Auditor told us the last ballot pickup at that location was at 8 a.m. Sunday. There were hundreds of ballots inside at the time of the burning, and KATU was told that only a few might be able to be saved.

Voters who cast their ballots at this location after 11 a.m. Saturday must IMMEDIATELY contact the Examiner's Office to receive a new ballot.

A link to the Clark County Elections page with contact information for the Auditor's Office can be found HERE.

Police have not yet released any information about the incident.

Just hours earlier, Portland police responded to an arson at a ballot drop box in Southeast Portland.

READ MORE:An incendiary device was set off at the ballot box in Southeast Portland, causing a fire

According to investigators, an incendiary device was ignited in the box, causing a fire.

The fire was extinguished and the unit evacuated, and the PPB is investigating the incident as arson.