PHOENIX — As many as 20 ballots were damaged or destroyed in a mailbox fire at a United States Postal Service location in Phoenix. Fire investigators said the blaze was started intentionally.
The Phoenix Fire Department was called to the location near 7th Avenue and Indian School Road around 1:20 a.m. for reports that an unknown person set fire to the drive-up collection mailbox.
Once the fire was extinguished, the department's Arson Investigation Taskforce responded to open a criminal investigation. The Postal Inspector took possession of the damaged ballots and mail.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer released the following statement about the incident:
"We are waiting for details from law enforcement. We encourage all voters who used that mail box in the last 36 hours to check the status of their ballots at https://BeBallotReady.Vote. Successful delivery is usually reflected on that website within 72 hours. Voters should be aware that tomorrow, October 25 is the last day to request a replacement ballot. If a voter believes they were impacted by this incident they can learn more about how to make that request at https://Request.Maricopa.Vote."
This is an active investigation and details are subject to change.
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 or by visiting www.uspis.gov/report.
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