By james art NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV (KSNV) — Election officials are assuring Nevada voters that Nevada elections are safe and secure after two ballot boxes in the Pacific Northwest were set on fire, destroying ballots.
Two ballot boxes, one in Portland and another in nearby Vancouver, Washington, were set on fire on October 28.
Only three ballots were damaged in an early morning fire at the Portland launch box due to an extinguishing system inside the box that helped put out the flames as well as a nearby security guard, police said. There were hundreds of ballots destroyed in the Vancouver box.
Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said preparations for Tuesday, Nov. 5, have been underway for 18 months and the state is prepared for any situation, including burned ballots.
“If this situation happens in Nevada, we have a plan to be able to handle it,” Aguilar said. “Every single mail-in ballot that goes out statewide has a unique identifier, a unique barcode. We can identify that ballot if it is lost or, in this situation, destroyed.”
He also said voters can check their voter profile or call their local clerk.
News 3 reached out to Clark County about election security. An emailed statement from Lorena Portillo, Clark County Clerk of Voters, said:
“Clark County works closely with local, state and federal authorities throughout the year for election safety. This remains a top priority as the department has worked to improve safety measures over the past four years due to our close partnership with law enforcement. For security reasons, we will not disclose specific safety measures, but all voters should feel safe while participating in the polls.
Gov. Joe Lombardo announced Monday that he activated 60 members of the state’s National Guard to support local law enforcement on Election Day.
Activation will be limited to supporting state and local resources. The National Guard will be on standby and will be stationed at National Guard facilities in both Carson City and Las Vegas.