Current Events > Boston ballot drop off box set on fire by giant piece of shit

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https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/10/25/metro/boston-ballot-box-set-fire-officials-say-disgrace-democracy/

A ballot drop box outside the Boston Public Library was set on fire early Sunday morning, according to state and city officials, who say it appears to be a deliberate, criminal attack and called it a disgrace to democracy.

Secretary of State William F. Galvin said in a statement Sunday that he contacted U.S. Attorney Andrew Lellings office and asked that the FBI investigate the incident. He said hes also urging local election officials around the state to increase security of their drop boxes, including employing drop box guards and video surveillance and to empty the boxes frequently.

The fire was set around 4 a.m. in the Copley Square drop box, according to Galvins office. Boston Police on Sunday released two images of a man they say theyre trying to identify as part of the investigation. In one image, a man appears to be holding something with a bright flame as he approaches the ballot box.

In a joint statement, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Galvin called the fire a disgrace to democracy, a disrespect to the voters fulfilling their civic duty, and a crime.

Our first and foremost priority is maintaining the integrity of our elections process and ensuring transparency and trust with our voters, and any effort to undermine or tamper with that process must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the statement said. We ask voters not to be intimidated by this bad act, and remain committed to making their voices heard in this and every election.

Galvin, in a message left with a Globe reporter, said the FBI had initiated a probe.

This was a deliberate arson attack on a ballot box in a federal election, the Brighton Democrat said. Obviously this was a violent act.

There were 122 ballots inside the box when officials emptied it Sunday morning, 87 of which were legible and able to be processed. The box had last been emptied by the Boston Elections Department just before 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Officials are urging voters who used the box late Saturday or early Sunday to either track their ballot online or contact Boston Elections Department.

Any affected voters will have a replacement ballot mailed to them by the City of Boston and will have the option of casting that replacement ballot or voting in person, Galvins office said. If any affected voter does not submit a new ballot, their original ballot will be hand-counted to the extent possible.

The drop box outside the Copley Square library did not suffer physical outer damage, according to city officials, who say it is still available for voters to deposit their completed ballots. Boston Police said when they arrived early Sunday, smoke was coming out of the ballot box and that it appeared to be on fire." Fire crews eventually extinguished it by filling the ballot box with water, police said.
Walshs office said each of the citys 17 drop boxes are under 24-hour surveillance and are emptied on a daily basis.

A spokeswoman for Galvin said his office has told local election officials to contact the Secretary of States Elections Division about the potential for funding to pay for any increased security.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll wrote on Twitter on Sunday that city officials there were using chemical fire suppressants in their ballot boxes to ensure ballots dont go up in flames." She called it disgraceful that vandals would set a Boston ballot box on fire.

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Republicans are this desperate to win, don't give in.

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A walking piece of shit. I don't care what party did it, what color their skin was, whatever their motivation. You are scum for this.

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Republicans should never be voted in again. America does not want them in power so they resort to heinous shit like this.
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ncsonic posted...

Republicans are this desperate to win, don't give in.

To be fair, the party of the culprit has not been stated.

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A literal waste of air this person is.
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greatest country on earth

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King_Hutton posted...

track their ballot online

Uhhhhh.

What is anonymous voting for $200, Alex?

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Destroying democracy to trigger the libs

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I thought conservatives were the silent majority. Why do they have to resort to cheating?

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I think it's a reasonable guess that it's a Republican who did this. Look at all the crazy qanon bastards kidnapping their estranged children, or the people spitting on Asian people because they think they're COVID super-spreaders sent from China, or the deranged fucks like the MAGAbomber. It wouldn't be out of place for a Republican fuckface to start going around burning ballot boxes with all of the fucked up things Republicans have been doing lately.

Leftist rhetoric this year has been "go and vote", and we've seen efforts from places that harbour alt-right sympathies like 4chan to actively obstruct the voting process - like that method they outlined to try and disqualify early votes in Oregon and shit. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume this was a Republican shithead.

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Frostshock posted...

Uhhhhh.

What is anonymous voting for $200, Alex?

It tracks the ballot itself, not who you voted for on that ballot.

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How does the arsonist know that he's burning more votes for the opposition than for his own party?
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Laserion posted...

How does the arsonist know that he's burning more votes for the opposition than for his own party?

Because Trump told him the libs are mailing in millions of fake votes from dead people

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Frostshock posted...

Uhhhhh.

What is anonymous voting for $200, Alex?

It tracks whether your ballot was counted.

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By the way it's public record if you voted or not and always has been. You just can't tell who you voted for.

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I feel like an arsonist wouldn't necessarily care about which side they're particularly harming. They're an arsonist after all

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Tyranthraxus posted...

Because Trump told him the libs are mailing in millions of fake votes from dead people

But Trump also told them to vote by mail and then try to vote in person, to make sure their vote is counted, if the mail one gets lost.
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NinjaWarrior455 posted...

I feel like an arsonist wouldn't necessarily care about which side they're particularly harming. They're an arsonist after all

Arsonist =/= pyromaniac.

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ncsonic posted...

Republicans are this desperate to win, don't give in.

Lmao I think this is funny

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I reported you Jermaine

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"Disgrace to democracy" sums up Trump and his cultists pretty nicely
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Republicans are fucking scum

Frostshock posted...

Uhhhhh.

What is anonymous voting for $200, Alex?

its like product tracking, it shows where your ballot is, when it's accepted and when it's been sorted (They don't open the ballot until election day)

dr_strangelove posted...

who in their right mind trusts a ballot dropbox these days? i wouldnt even put my ballot in a usps mailbox because i dont trust anyone.

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Republicans showing they hate democracy.

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Frostshock posted...

Uhhhhh.

What is anonymous voting for $200, Alex?

Something frostschok doesn't understand?

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Masamune_DS posted...

To be fair, the party of the culprit has not been stated.

Thered be no reason for Democrats to do this, they know they have the numbers if everyone votes.

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Can we just start branding Republicans traitors now please?

Like the ones that jumped ship can stay, but these Trump loyalists need to go.

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BLM burns down entire city blocks and you guys defend it, but one guy sets a box on fire and you lose your minds lolol

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Don't use drop off boxes

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Are people ITT seriously victim-blaming?

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Solar_Crimson posted...

Are people ITT seriously victim-blaming?

Because they don't want people to vote. It's pretty obvious what their angle is.

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VTBM posted...

Don't use drop off boxes

don't use the USPS. no options now :(

they delayed my shit again. thank you postmaster general....
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bump

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Modded because I said it was funny? This place is swill. If you can't laugh about the ridiculous in the world you'll just go nuts. Absolutely ridiculous. Offensive? Its offensive to actually use mail in ballots. More time for our government or foreign areas to manipulate it

The topic title even makes you laugh but no action will be taken against that of course

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No idea the party affiliation of the arsonist but I will say I know for a fact that there are a number of active white supremacist/neo-Nazi cells in Boston.

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Conflict posted...

Uh... I didn't laugh. And I'm pretty sure most people didn't either.

Pretty sure laughing at this means there's something wrong with ya

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Is it only the drop box by me one that is indoors with the early voting, so there is a person standing watch around it at all times?

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Burning a single drop box isnt going to flip the state.

Most likely scenario is someone trying to whip up everyone and enjoy the show.

The most likely scenario if this is to influence an actual race, its targeting a local election.

Doom_Art posted...

Pretty sure laughing at this means there's something wrong with ya

No. The words set on fire and giant piece of shit are in the same sentence

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Smells fishy to me.

One would assume it would be a Republican that would do this based on Trump's stance, but that's JUST the sort of thing that would cause the other party do it so they would sway those who haven't voted yet to their side, like a sort of framing device. Liberals have, this year in particular, developed a reputation of taking rash and drastic action with limited information.

Whatever the case may be, when they find the culprit, regardless of party affiliation, he should receive harsh punishment.

Death penalty

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BudDupree48 posted...

No

Yes

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Heavy_D_Forever posted...

BLM burns down entire city blocks and you guys defend it, but one guy sets a box on fire and you lose your minds lolol

A) Which city block did BLM specifically burn down? (Not just a mob)
B) Are you saying everyone on CE applauded it?