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Election ballots damaged in Phoenix mailbox arson

The Phoenix Police Department said the suspect confessed to setting the fire, not knowing what was inside

By Brian Niemietz
New York Daily News

PHOENIX — Mail-in ballots for the Nov. 5 election were damaged when a fire was set to a USPS mailbox overnight in Arizona, which is expected to be a hotly contested swing state.

Approximately 20 ballots were damaged in the early Thursday morning blaze in Phoenix, according to local reports. Firefighters arrived to extinguish the flames around 1:20 a.m. after forcing the collection box open.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego expressed concern over the matter and vowed to bring whoever was responsible to justice. She announced an arrest Thursday afternoon, thanking Phoenix police, the Phoenix Fire Department and federal partners for their “swift action.”

No details on the suspect were released.

Exactly how many ballots were destroyed is unclear. Voters who used the mailbox at 7th Avenue and Indian School Road are advised to log onto the Maricopa elections website to check the status of their vote in a couple days.

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