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submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by FlyingSquid@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

The ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon both have fire suppression systems that are designed to activate when the temperature inside reaches a certain point, coating ballots inside with a fire-suppressing powder.

For unknown reasons, the system failed to prevent the destruction of hundreds of ballots in Vancouver, just across the Columbia River from Portland.

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[-] VantaBrandon@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago
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[-] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Waiting for the car's MAGA owner to be arrested and prosecuted. Probably expecting an eventual pardon from Bonespurs. Good luck wit dat.

[-] PresidentCamacho@lemm.ee 39 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Just an FYI, all of these Ballot/Mail Box fires will be pointed to when trump attempts his second coup when he loses. I cant believe I'm casually talking about a future coup attempt in my country...

This will give a fake appearance of legitimacy to his claims. I'm worried...

[-] resin85@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 days ago

The full plan is detailed here: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/little-secret-trump-johnson-election/.

Basically, they just need enough States to withhold submitting valid slates of electors, which are due on Dec 11th. If that doesn't happen, and it lowers the amount of electoral college voters enough so no single candidate has a majority, then the US House gets to decide.

In other words, we're fully reliant on GOP controlled States doing the right thing. We're fucked.

[-] PresidentCamacho@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

Oh wonderful, a new anxiety is unlocked.... Though I will say that this wouldn't happen until mid to late December, and we will have election results around Nov 6-8. This is definitely a much harder gambit with over a month of time knowing the result of the election, that is to say, it'll be much more clearly a coup than if it happened during election day. Lets just hope this is a landslide for Harris, and the chance of this being a viable option for trump being even lower.

[-] Dasus@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

And actually burns up Harris votes in the process, making it even easier for him.

Fuckety fuck fuck.

[-] SimpleMachine@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

While this is a shit move by whoever is doing this, it makes virtually no difference for the presidential election. WA electoral votes are winner-takes-all, and always go Dem. A few burned boxes won't come close in making a difference for president, Biden won by almost a million votes in the last one. It will probably have a decent effect on local elections though.

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[-] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 39 points 3 days ago

This is terrorism.

[-] BallsandBayonets@lemmings.world 16 points 2 days ago

I was actually surprised that more ballot boxes weren't being firebombed; I didn't know they had fire suppression systems and am glad to hear it (and also slightly shocked that they're necessary; chalk another point on the board for we've failed as a society and as a species).

[-] Flocklesscrow@lemm.ee 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

The armed forces have been voting by mail for decades (over a century).

I love the cognitive dissonance of "patriots" who mouth platitudes for those who've served, while actively working against the same mechanisms for civilians. Brain morons.

[-] FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

Vote by mail should be a federal mandate, let’s take all the money going to Israel and give it to the USPS instead for upgrades.

My family is kinda split 50/50 politically but everyone spends time in one branch or another. That cognitive dissonance is fucking mind blowing when it’s your relative in uniform spouting the rhetoric of these stochastic terrorist shitbags

[-] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 2 points 2 days ago

The military voted by mail in the Civil War.

[-] sarcasticsunrise@lemmy.world 75 points 4 days ago

I hate that the Orwellian thought of ballot boxes requiring armed guards just entered my brain, because it just did. It goes against everything democracy is supposed to be, but this is where American fascism has led my thoughts to rot

[-] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 51 points 4 days ago

With a sufficiently not-fucking-around response to the terrorists who did it, betcha won't need guards.

But America is gonna wrist slap nazis and say please.

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[-] spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 75 points 4 days ago

There need to be extraordinary penalties for threatening election workers, intimidating voters, or destroying ballots. How about a minimum 20 year sentence to start?

[-] x00z@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago

20 years?

In many countries you get the death sentence for treason like this.

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[-] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

I was thinking life in prison, and we haul them out every year during election season to talk about why they attacked ballot boxes, what they were trying to do, and if their life was worth throwing away for it.

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[-] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 77 points 4 days ago

Courts should fast track this one to make an example of them. Arrest them and sentence them this week.

[-] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 38 points 4 days ago

No, you want to wish them a complete and fair due process. Keep them behind bars in accordance with the maximum of sentencing guidelines.

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[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 86 points 4 days ago

This is the Republican plan to steal the election. When does the civil war start? I give it 6 weeks before the first casualties pile in.

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 71 points 4 days ago
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[-] knightly@pawb.social 30 points 4 days ago

Are you kidding? Election day is a week away and an election clerk in San Antonio already got punched for telling somebody to take off his MAGA hat. I'm surprised nobody's been shot already.

[-] themeatbridge@lemmy.world 27 points 4 days ago

Assuming they catch the shitbags, I see no need for further violence.

[-] jj4211@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

If it is a plan, it's pretty dumb. Of all places this act could sway the results, Oregon and Washington are pretty low on the list.

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[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago

I hope that vehicle ends up in a trash compactor with the occupant inside

[-] inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 30 points 3 days ago

I hope they catch the guy alive and we prosecute the asshole and make a public example of this guy who is most likely Republican.

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago

I would bet up to $1k that this guy is Republican, but I don't actually care what party they belong to. Make an example of them.

[-] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

yOu HaVe BeEn PeRmAnEnTlY bAnNeD fRoM rEdDiT

ThE lEfT hAs SuCh ViOlEnT rHeToRiC

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[-] auzy@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Gee. I wonder if it's a right winger. As per normal, it's totally unlikely...

[-] NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Vancouver?? I told yall that foreigners were voting in our elections!!!!

/s very much needed, as some moron on Facebook is 100% sincerely saying the same thing right now.

[-] Assman@sh.itjust.works 27 points 4 days ago

What are these things doing outside? I don't get that. Put them inside the courthouse, post office, fire station, a million other places they'd be safe from arson.

[-] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 38 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

The problem lies in that people need to access them outside working hours due to their own work schedules, which is ultimately the point of these things. Granted, a fire station, ~~police station~~, or even a hospital lobby would be better than outside.

Edit: ok, maybe not a police station, but y'all get my point

[-] Skydancer@pawb.social 25 points 4 days ago

Police station would be a terrible choice. People who aren't able to vote on election day skew poor, black, brown, and/or immigrant - exactly the groups who would be (rightly) afraid of entering a police station.

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[-] barsquid@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago

This seems like an election fraud crime done by a poor person, so there will likely be consequences.

[-] _bcron_@lemmy.world 26 points 4 days ago

Should not have divulged that, now they're gonna go in with Rit dye and bleach and shit

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this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2024
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