A few states have said they will have the National Guard on standby as a precaution for potential civil unrest on Election Day after ballot drop boxes were set on fire last week.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a news release on Friday that he had activated the Washington National Guard to be on standby from Monday through Thursday.
“This is a purely precautionary measure taken in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s nationwide warnings regarding threats to election infrastructure and other recent activities that have occurred in southwestern Washington,” said Inslee.
The adjutant general will decide how many members of the guard will be used, the release said.
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Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told media outlets in the state that the Oregon National Guard would also be on standby, something former Gov. Kate Brown had also done in 2020.
On Tuesday, ballot drop boxes were set on fire with explosive devices in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon, destroying hundreds of ballots, authorities said. No arrests have been made but officials said they believed the incidents were connected.
U.S. Homeland Security had warned local officials in September that drop boxes may be used as a target for political violence.
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Before the ballot dropbox fires in the Pacific Northwest, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo had announced he was activating 60 members of their state’s National Guard to support state and local authorities on Election Day as “one of many proactive steps the state is taking to ensure all possible resources are in place for a timely response to any challenges that arise.”
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Lombardo’s office said members of the Guard could help alleviate unexpected issues that may arise such as traffic enforcement or building security.
“We do not expect that these personnel will need to be deployed,” said Lombardo.
