PHOENIX — An arrest has reportedly been made after a Phoenix United States Postal Service mailbox was believed to have been set on fire early Thursday, damaging a number of mailed-in ballots.
Emergency crews were called to the USPS Osborn Station, near Seventh Avenue and Indian School Road, around 1:30 a.m. Thursday where a drive-up mail collection box was on fire.
Phoenix Fire Department said an unknown person lit a fire inside the blue drive-up collection box and fled the area.
Crews were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, but investigators were later seen going through pieces of mail that had been burned in the fire.
"Approximately 20 electoral ballots were damaged, along with additional miscellaneous mail," Phoenix Fire Department officials said. The Postal Inspector has since taken possession of the damaged ballots and mail.
Phoenix police say surveillance video helped them quickly track down and arrest the suspect, a 35-year-old male, for an unrelated warrant. While in police custody, he allegedly admitted to starting the fire but claimed he "wanted to be arrested" and that his actions were not politically motivated and unrelated to the election.
A USPS spokesperson and postal inspector told Scripps News Phoenix, "This does not happen often and is rare," and urged people to place mail in collection boxes before the last collection time each day.
"Postal Inspectors are working with the local election commission to ensure any affected election mail is remedied and that other mail is routed to the appropriate parties," USPS said in a statement. "If you believe your mail-in ballot may have been impacted by this incident, please contact your local election office to confirm receipt and identify options for tracking your ballot. If you believe your mail was impacted by this recent incident, please file a report directly with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by calling 877-876-2455 (say 'Theft') or by visiting www.uspis.gov/report."
USPS continued: "The Inspection Service takes all reports of election offenses involving the U.S. Mail very seriously. Postal Inspectors are immediately reviewing and addressing all complaints of impacted political or election mail. Anyone who steals, disrupts, delays or otherwise tampers with political or election mail should know that the full investigative strength of the federal government will be directed toward them, including Postal Inspectors, special agents with the USPS Office of Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and prosecutors with the Department of Justice. This 'zero tolerance' approach ensures that American citizens can vote with the confidence that their mail and the election, two of America’s most trusted institutions, are free from criminal disruption."
Scripps News Phoenix also reached out to election officials for information impacting those whose ballots may have been damaged:
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer released the following statement:
“We are waiting for details from law enforcement. We encourage all voters who used that mailbox in the last 36 hours to check the status of their ballots at https://BeBallotReady.Vote. Successful delivery is usually reflected on that website within 72 hours. Voters should be aware that tomorrow, October 25 is the last day to request a replacement ballot. If a voter believes they were impacted by this incident they can learn more about how to make that request at https://Request.Maricopa.Vote.”
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes released the following statement about the incident:
"I have been alerted to the recent attack on a USPS collection box in Phoenix, which damaged several ballots. Thanks to the swift response coordinated between election officials, law enforcement, and the postal service, we were able to recover many undamaged ballots and affected voters will be contacted to make sure they’re able to cast a vote. Any attack that strikes at our democratic process carries criminal consequences. Ballot abuse is a felony in Arizona, and mailbox vandalism is a federal crime. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Phoenix Fire Department, Phoenix Police, and Arizona USPS for their swift and effective response, which helped save many ballots. Counties across Arizona have already equipped ballot drop boxes with security controls to prevent and detect physical attacks. We are committed to continuing our partnerships that protect and preserve every citizen's right to vote."
This article was originally published by Scripps News Phoenix.
