This election reporting is provided free to all readers as a public service by your locally owned Cascadia Daily News. Thanks for supporting truly local news by donating to CDN or subscribing here.
Gov. Jay Inslee is temporarily activating the Washington National Guard to be on standby to help support state and local law enforcement for four days during the week of the election.
Inslee made the announcement Friday, Nov. 1 and gave Adjutant General Gent Welsh the authority to determine how many members of the Guard will be activated. The measure is “purely precautionary” in nature, Inslee wrote.
“Our state depends on these skilled individuals for critical support to protect the public health, safety and welfare, to include support necessary to protect vital infrastructure related to carrying out free and fair elections and to respond to any unrest related to the 2024 general election,” Inslee wrote in his letter to Welsh.
Members of the Guard will be placed on temporary active status starting on Monday, Nov. 4 through after midnight on Thursday, Nov. 7. Activation of support functions within Washington’s Emergency Management System will also occur during this time.
The activation comes days after an incendiary device was set off in two ballot boxes in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon.
The Clark County Auditor recovered 494 ballots from the Vancouver ballot box, 488 of which had enough information to identify voters while 6 did not.
Law enforcement is still looking for the suspect, described to be a white man between 30–40 years old. A vehicle, likely a 2001 or 2004 Volvo S60, has also been linked to the arson investigation.
In Whatcom County, election officials have increased the frequency of picking up ballots from drop-off points and fire-suppression systems had been previously installed in ballot boxes. Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies have also increased their awareness of ballot box locations in unincorporated parts of the county and will be able to respond to any suspicious activity.
The United States Department of Homeland Security has also warned that threats to election infrastructure during the 2024 election cycle remain high.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
