Numerous mail-in ballots were damaged after a United States Postal Service mailbox was set on fire in Phoenix, Arizona, on Thursday (October 24).
Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames and tried to recover the mail that was inside the collection box.
Officials said that approximately 20 mail-in ballots were damaged by the fire.
The ballots and other miscellaneous mail were turned over to the Postal Inspector.
After reviewing surveillance camera footage, investigators identified a suspect, 35-year-old Dieter Bradford Klofkorn. He was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant and admitted to starting the fire. Officials said that Klofkorn claimed he wanted to be arrested and that his actions were not political and were unrelated to the upcoming presidential election.
Klofkorn was charged with one count of arson of property.
The Postal Inspector is working to contact the voters whose ballots were damaged.
“Postal Inspectors are working with the local election commission to ensure any affected election mail is remedied and that other mail is routed to the appropriate parties,” USPS said in a statement. “If you believe your mail-in ballot may have been impacted by this incident, please contact your local election office to confirm receipt and identify options for tracking your ballot. If you believe your mail was impacted by this recent incident, please file a report directly with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service by calling 877-876-2455 (say ‘Theft’) or by visiting www.uspis.gov/report.”
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