USPS Mailbox Fire In Arizonas Maricopa County Damages Some Ballots

A United States Postal Service mail collection box was set on fire early Thursday in Arizonas Maricopa County, damaging what officials say were about 20 electoral ballots inside the box.

Phoenix Fire Capt. Rob McDade told local media that an individual lit the fire overnight inside the blue drive-up collection mailbox, which reporters at the scene described as burnt and damaged. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes confirmed the damaged ballots Thursday on a call HuffPost participated in.

The Phoenix Fire Departments Arson Investigation Taskforce is conducting an ongoing criminal investigation with postal inspectors and police, and has obtained surveillance footage of the area. Law enforcement arrested a suspect but has not yet confirmed the individuals identity or motive, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said late Thursday morning .

There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we are working collaboratively with every level of government to bring the perpetrator to justice, she said in a statement, adding that she is in regular communication with both Fontes and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer.

There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we are working collaboratively with every level of government to bring the perpetrator to justice. 2/2

Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) October 24, 2024","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Mayor Kate Gallego","author_url":"https://twitter.com/MayorGallego","cache_age":86400,"description":"There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we are working collaboratively with every level of government to bring the perpetrator to justice. 2/2 Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) October 24, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_thread":{"label":"Hide previous Tweet in conversation thread","value":true},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Mayor Kate Gallego on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/MayorGallego/status/1849499306501583051","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"671aa77de4b0ede6b2c0a778","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/usps-mailbox-fire-arizona-maricopa-county-damage-ballots_n_671aa77de4b0ede6b2c0a778","entryTagsList":"arizona,mail-in-voting,maricopa-county,usps,@nbc_link,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/4c7e3868-fd3c-4015-99ea-0b355900c37d/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":20},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"671aa77de4b0ede6b2c0a778","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Arizona","slug":"arizona","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/arizona","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/arizona","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/arizona"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"Arizona","slug":"arizona","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/arizona"},{"name":"mail-in voting","slug":"mail-in-voting","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/mail-in-voting","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/mail-in-voting","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/mail-in-voting"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/mail-in-voting"},{"name":"maricopa county","slug":"maricopa-county","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/maricopa-county","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/maricopa-county","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/maricopa-county"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/maricopa-county"},{"name":"USPS","slug":"usps","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/usps","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/usps","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/usps"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/usps"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we are working collaboratively with every level of government to bring the perpetrator to justice. 2/2
Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) October 24, 2024

Fontes said his office has ensured that election drop boxes across Arizonas counties contain fire suppression equipment. But the mailbox in question belongs to the USPS, which does not have that same protection.

This does not happen often and is rare. I encourage everyone not to place any mail in blue collection boxes after the last pick up time, as stated on the box, Liz Davis, a postal inspector and spokesperson for the USPS Phoenix division, said in a statement obtained by KTVK-3TV .

Arizona has set up online ballot tracking , so voters like those impacted by the Thursday blaze can check if their ballots dont reach election offices. According to Richer, voters who used that specific USPS mailbox in the last 36 hours should check the status of their ballot on the website, which he said will usually mark a successful delivery within 72 hours.

Voters whose mail ballots were damaged can request a replacement ballot in the mail, though Friday is the last day to make that request for the states Nov. 5 election. Fontes, who was also the former county recorder, said that affected voters will be contacted to ensure they can still cast their vote.

Any attack that strikes at our democratic process carries criminal consequences, he said in a statement . Ballot abuse is a felony in Arizona, and mailbox vandalism is a federal crime.