Fires in the mailbox for two ballots are unlikely to deter voters. But other interference could.

News from arson that started at the polls on Monday inVancouver,Washington, And in Portland, Oregon, show that not all threats to the integrity of our elections come from well-organized militias or foreign governments. The The Portland Police Bureau has already released photos of a vehicle that authorities say was involved in at least one of the incidents, and possibly others. “We do not know the motive behind these actions,” Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said in a statement. “We know that these types of acts are targeted and that they are deliberate, and we are concerned that this deliberate act is trying to influence the electoral process. We are doing everything we can to stop this type of behavior.”

That’s good to hear. It is clear that there are individuals determined to destroy our elections. And federal and state authorities must put out this kind of violence before things get further out of hand.

In Oregon, Multnomah County Elections Department said in a statement that “fire extinguisher in the ballot box protected virtually all ballots.” Three ballots were damaged and county elections director Tim Scott said affected voters were being contacted.

But even if ballots were destroyed in this week’s fires, voters should still be able to cast replacements.

Voters in Oregon And Washington are fortunate to live in states with excellent election administration, including extensive systems to track the ballot’s journey from the time it is mailed to a voter to the time it is received by election officials. Voters who may have placed their ballots in one of the affected ballot boxes will have ample opportunity to contact election officials and obtain and then cast replacement ballots so that they are not disenfranchised by this despicable anti-democratic act.

But there could be other attempts to disrupt the 2024 election in the coming week that may not be so easily remedied. (One of the final episodes of the television program “Succession” contains a not-incredible fire That destroys 100,000 uncounted mail-in ballots in Milwaukee, with serious, if fictitious, electoral consequences.) And even if there are no large-scale attacks on our electoral processes, even the fear of violence or interference could deter people from voting. For example, in 2022, vigilantes patrolled a polling precinct in Arizona in federal court the intimidating behavior. We don’t know what individuals or groups are planning this time, but government officials do warning of possible extremist violence.

The potential for violent escalation makes it critical for law enforcement to make the investigation and prosecution of Monday’s ballot box attacks a priority. The FBI says it is working with local authorities, which is the right move. We need law enforcement to take strong action to identify the perpetrators of these crimes and bring them to justice.

There are a number by federal statutes that could be used to charge arsonists who burn ballots, including one who prohibits the destruction or mutilation of ballots and another that bars that use violence to disrupt voting. State laws also classify ballot burning and similar activities as crimes. Washington state, for example prohibits tampering with voting materials And devices used in voting. Oregon law offers that a person “shall not intentionally alter or destroy a ballot cast at an election or the results of an election.”

In addition to prosecuting the crimes that have already occurred, it is critical to ensure voters feel welcome and safe to vote in the coming days.

Ultimately, the idea of ​​free and fair elections means that eligible voters should be able to easily cast votes that are counted fairly and accurately, in a system free of violence and intimidation. It’s a sad testament to American democracy that this has to be said, but it does happen. Now is the time for all of us to remain vigilant to ensure free elections and a peaceful transition of power in the weeks and months ahead.

This article was originally published on MSNBC.com