PHOENIX — Authorities have made an arrest after ballots for the upcoming election were damaged when a U.S. Postal Service mailbox was set on fire in Phoenix, police reported.
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An individual allegedly ignited a fire inside a drive-up collection mailbox at a USPS station early Thursday morning, according to the Phoenix Police Department, which responded to the incident at 1:20 a.m.
The Phoenix Fire Department quickly opened the mailbox to extinguish the flames, while the Postal Inspector took possession of the damaged ballots and other mail, officials said.
Phoenix police initially estimated that around 20 ballots were affected, but the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office later indicated it believes only five ballots were destroyed, although this number may change.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego confirmed Thursday afternoon that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the incident.
“There is zero tolerance for criminal activity in our community, and we are working collaboratively with every level of government to bring the perpetrator to justice,” Gallego said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Dieter Klofkorn, was booked on one felony count of arson of property. Klofkorn, who reportedly had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unrelated case, allegedly admitted to starting the fire, saying his actions were not politically motivated, according to Phoenix police.
“Klofkorn stated that he committed the arson because he wanted to be arrested and that his actions were not politically motivated or related to anything involving the upcoming election,” Phoenix police Sgt. Rob Scherer stated.
Details regarding the outstanding arrest warrant were not provided, and it remains unclear if Klofkorn has an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Response from Officials
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes expressed concern about the incident in a statement.
“This deliberate act of vandalism undermines the integrity of our democratic process,” Fontes said.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer stated Thursday that officials are “waiting for details from law enforcement” regarding the incident. Richer advised voters who used the affected mailbox within the last 36 hours to check their ballot status, noting that updates are typically reflected within 72 hours.
The last day for voters in Arizona to request an early ballot for the upcoming election is Friday. Richer encouraged those who may have been affected to find more information at Request.Maricopa.Vote.
Unlike USPS mailboxes, ballot drop boxes in Arizona have fire suppression systems in place, according to Fontes.
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“One of the things we’ve implemented for county drop boxes is fire suppression equipment inside those boxes,” Fontes said during a Zoom meeting with election officials. “Unfortunately, the United States Postal Service doesn’t have that.”
