Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State has placed members of the National Guard on standby in preparation for potential election-related unrest.
This precautionary measure was announced in a statement from his office on Friday.
Earlier in the week, a ballot drop box for early voting was set ablaze in Vancouver, Washington, using incendiary devices, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of ballots.
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A similar incident was reported in Portland, Oregon, around the same time.
Inslee’s decision to activate the National Guard comes in response to these incidents and recent warnings from the U.S Department of Homeland Security regarding threats to election infrastructure.
The National Guard, which operates under both state and federal authority, is often deployed during emergencies, including natural disasters.
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In this instance, the Guard will remain on standby for four days, starting Monday and concluding just after midnight on Thursday.
While Election Day is set for Tuesday, a significant number of early votes have already been cast, with tens of millions participating.
