Man Arrested for Setting Fire to Phoenix Mailbox, Jeopardizing Early Ballots

Phoenix police have arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly setting fire to a United States Postal Service mailbox, damaging several ballots just weeks before the November election.

Dieter Klofkorn was apprehended on an unrelated warrant. During police questioning, he confessed to igniting the mailbox at the Osborn Post Office, located near 7th Avenue and Indian School Road. Klofkorn insisted that his actions were not politically motivated; he claimed he wanted to be arrested and taken to jail.

Klofkorn has a history of homelessness and a lengthy criminal record that includes multiple convictions for offenses such as indecent exposure, theft, and trespassing. He has repeatedly violated probation terms, which could lead to additional jail time.

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes responded to the incident, stating, “Any attack that strikes at our democratic process carries criminal consequences. Ballot abuse in Arizona is a felony, while mailbox vandalism is a federal crime.”

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has stated that his office is awaiting updates from law enforcement regarding the status of the ballots in the damaged mailbox. He urged voters who used that box in the past 36 hours to verify their ballot status on the official website, noting that the deadline to request a replacement ballot is October 25.

Ballots that were undamaged will be processed as usual. If any damaged ballots can be traced to specific voters, those individuals will be contacted by election officials.

Fontes praised the quick coordination among election officials, law enforcement, and the postal service, ensuring that many undamaged ballots were recovered. He assured that affected voters would be notified to secure their voting rights. He further emphasized that ballot drop boxes statewide have been enhanced with security measures to deter and detect physical attacks.