On Monday, election offices in six states were on high alert after receiving packages containing suspicious white powder. Thankfully, no hazardous materials have been confirmed.
The envelopes were sent to secretaries of state and election offices across Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. The FBI and U.S. Postal Service are currently investigating these alarming incidents, marking the second wave of similar threats targeting election officials this year.
With early voting already in motion, this scare comes just two months ahead of significant elections, including the presidential race, Senate, and congressional seats.
Iowa’s Secretary of State, Paul Pate, reassured the public by stating, “We have specific protocols in place for situations such as this,” emphasizing that the packages were reported immediately. In Kansas, a similar situation led to the evacuation of a state building in Topeka after suspicious packages were sent to both the secretary of state and the attorney general. Monitoring took place for employees who had contact with the substance, even though it was deemed harmless.
In Oklahoma, officials received an envelope that included a multi-page document along with white powder, which was later identified as flour. State security ensured the area was safe, and testing confirmed the substance’s harmlessness.
Meanwhile, Wyoming officials evacuated an office building in Cheyenne while assessing the mail received at the secretary of state’s office. Last November, several election offices had faced similar threats, with some letters containing fentanyl, causing disruptions during local elections.
These recurrent incidents have led many election offices to bolster security and safeguard their staff, especially given the ongoing climate of threats and harassment directed at officials post-2020 election. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press