Arlington Increasing Police Patrols At Ballot Drop Boxes

ARLINGTON, MA — The Town Clerk's office is working with the police department to step up patrols outside Arlington's three ballot drop box locations. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin issued an "urgent election directive" to communities after a ballot box was set ablaze in Boston on Sunday.

Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine said security cameras have been in place outside drop boxes since the spring election. Arlington has three drop boxes for the Nov. 3 election:

- East Arlington - Outside the Fox Branch Library (175 Massachusetts Ave)

- Arlington Center - The Town Hall drop box has been moved just outside the Plaza so it will remain accessible during construction. The drop box is now located near the MBTA bus stop just west of the Town Hall crosswalk.

- Arlington Heights - Outside ACMI Studios (85 Park Avenue)

A Boston man was arrested late Sunday night after authorities said he set fire to a Copley Square ballot box earlier that morning. The fire destroyed 35 of the 122 ballots inside, prompting Galvin to tell local officials to improve security around ballot boxes.

"What happened in the early hours of this morning to the ballot drop box in Copley Square is a disgrace to democracy, a disrespect to the voters fulfilling their civic duty, and a crime," Galvin and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a joint statement. "Our first and foremost priority is maintaining the integrity of our elections process and ensuring transparency and trust with our voters, and any effort to undermine or tamper with that process must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We ask voters not to be intimidated by this bad act, and remain committed to making their voices heard in this and every election."