Vancouver Police Department, West Precinct, in Vancouver, Wash., June 29, 2024.
Anna Lueck / OPB
There are no organized gatherings or protests currently planned, according to Kim Kapp, a Vancouver Police Department spokesperson. But she said the department has increased its staffing as it plans to minimize any impact on the Vancouver community.
“We certainly understand that people have that right to lawfully and peacefully congregate, but we aren’t going to be tolerating any criminal behavior. We are prepared in the event that groups are gathering and they become destructive,” Kapp said.
Last week, the Portland Police Bureau announced its office would also increase police presence in anticipation of possible civil unrest.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has also put members of the state’s National Guard on standby in case they are needed by local law enforcement. In a letter Friday, Inslee noted that Southwest Washington had already dealt with at least one incident of elections-related unrest. On Oct. 28, the contents of two ballot boxes were set on fire, one in Portland and the other in Vancouver.
Video of the ballot box fire at Fisher’s Landing Transit Center, obtained by OPB on Monday, shows smoke emanating from the box before a large burst of sparks erupted.
Interim Chief of the Vancouver Police Dept. Troy Price speaks at a press conference held at Multnomah County Elections headquarters in Portland, Oct. 28, 2024. Two ballot boxes were set on fire in Portland and Vancouver, one of them destroying hundreds of ballots that had been cast.
Dirk VanderHart / OPB
Nearly 500 ballots were damaged in the Vancouver fire. Although all of those voters were contacted by the Clark County clerk’s office, an unknown number of ballots may have been completely destroyed. That investigation is being handled by the FBI, Kapp said.
The presidential contest will likely hinge on narrow outcomes in swing states, according to national polling, and reports from across the country have reflected Americans’ anxiety that election denialism and possibly violence could follow the outcome of that race.
Though far-right groups based in Southwest Washington frequently traveled to Portland during the Trump presidency to engage in clashes, Vancouver has also seen its share of political protests.
“The City has a long history of supporting the rights of individuals to assemble peacefully,” City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said in a statement. “Our focus is on maintaining the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors.”
Following Tuesday’s election, Washington National Guard members would be deployed if help was requested by the Washington State Patrol. The civilian service members often provide protection to facilities or infrastructure, so police have fewer responsibilities during protests, according to Karina Shagren, a spokesperson for the Washington Military Department.
“Taking some of those activities off the plate of our law enforcement partners allows them to focus on their law enforcement duties,” she said.
Inslee’s order lasts until midnight on Thursday.
Several hundred Washington National Guard members were sent to Olympia after the January 6 insurrection, and the state provided support in Washington D.C. during the presidential inauguration, according to Shagren. While she stressed that Inslee’s current order is precautionary, she noted that the action is rare.
“I can’t recall in recent memory our National Guard being used during a general election,” she said. “I believe this is the first time in as long as I can remember that we’ve been activated prior to the election.”