California Ballot Box Goes Up in Flames, Providing Mighty Metaphor for 2020

The frustration and the fear that Americans hold regarding the 2020 presidential election is palpable, and likely for good reason.  We’ve never experience a political climate like this before, and those who had were soon choosing blue or grey uniforms and pointing guns at one another, sometime around 14 decades ago.

This time around, there are concerns that some of President Trump’s fringe supporter groups could turn to violence if he loses the election, particularly if the results are contested, unclear, or suspicious.  There are also concerns that organized left-wing groups could take to the streets en masse should Trump attempt to declare himself the winner in a similarly murky electoral ether.

In other words, this whole thing could go up in smoke two weeks from today, and that’s why the latest news out of California feels more like an omen than a simple case of arson.

Authorities are investigating a fire which broke out in an official ballot drop box Sunday night in Baldwin Park, damaging countless ballots in the process.

Los Angeles County Fire Department crews arrived on scene and extinguished the blaze.

“I noticed the smoke coming out of the ballot box, it was pretty heavy,” witness George Silva said.

Firefighters had to install a hose into the slot of the box to put the fire out. They then had to use a chainsaw to cut the box open and remove stacks of burned ballots.

It’s unclear exactly how the fire was sparked. It is being investigated as a possible arson.

There has been plenty of talk about the security of the election itself, with President Trump himself alluding to the idea that the increase in mail-in ballots for 2020 could offer up opportunities for fraudsters and foreign actors.