Federal authorities are investigating several suspicious pieces of mail sent to election officials in at least 14 states, some of which contained a questionable substance and led to building evacuations.
and
A copy of one of the suspicious pieces of mail, shared with The Washington Post by an election official in a battleground state, says the sender is the “United States Traitor Elimination Army” and has a return address originating in Maryland. The piece of mail, a large yellow envelope, was addressed to the Nebraska Elections Division.
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Service said in a joint statement Tuesday that they are investigating what they referred to as “a series of suspicious mailings sent to election officials in several states.”
“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident and safely collect the letters,” the statement said. “We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters.”
No state, so far, has reported that anyone has been harmed as a result of the suspicious mail, and no state has indicated that the suspicious mail received has come back testing positive for a hazardous substance.
The incidents are the latest disruption to election officials’ operations during an already contentious election season. Election Day is a little less than two months away, but early voting has begun in some states.
Election offices around the country have sought to bolster their security in light of what they see as an increase in threats stemming from false election claims made since the 2020 election. These efforts have included increasing advertising budgets to combat false claims, ramping up training for election workers and bolstering coordination with law enforcement to better respond to threats and harassment.
These types of threats have already led to evacuations and elections-related interruptions over the past year. In November, suspicious letters mailed to election offices in at least five states forced evacuations and in some cases temporarily disrupted ballot counting after elections. At least one letter contained fentanyl. And in January, several secretaries of state and state legislature officials received hoax email bomb threats, which led to the evacuation of government buildings, including state capitols, across the country.
Some states have been alerted to brace for similar suspicious mail to come soon to their offices.
An election official from a battleground state said they have not received a suspicious envelope, but they have been alerted by federal law enforcement that one is on its way. Federal law enforcement officials think the envelopes contain a flour-based mixture but are treating it as though it could be fentanyl, according to the election official, who said their office is preparing for the suspicious mail’s arrival by ordering Narcan — an opioid overdose-reversal drug — to have on hand.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.
After an initial wave of suspicious mail was reported by election officials on Monday, officials in at least seven states confirmed that similar mailings were sent to their offices.
Jared DeMarinis, the state administrator of elections in Maryland, confirmed on X on Tuesday afternoon that his office was “notified by our federal partners that a suspicious package was en route to our office. The Post Office was able to intercept the package before [it] arrived today.”
The Rhode Island Board of Elections said in a statement that on Tuesday morning, the office was informed by law enforcement “about a suspicious envelope received at our headquarters. The FBI responded and has taken the envelope for further analysis.”
Another suspicious piece of mail addressed to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office was intercepted at a state mail facility, according to a statement from the secretary’s office.
The FBI on Tuesday also notified election officials in Massachusetts and Connecticut that suspicious mail targeting their offices had been intercepted, election officials in the states have confirmed. In Indiana on Tuesday, employees in the secretary of state’s office reported the delivery of a suspicious envelope containing a powdery substance. The envelope was removed and found to be nonhazardous.
Also on Tuesday morning, law enforcement was called to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office to examine a suspicious envelope. JoDonn Chaney, a spokesperson for Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R), said the suspicious mail was identified in the office mailroom, and staff immediately contacted the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Chaney said Tuesday afternoon that the National Guard was removing the envelope.
The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office also confirmed Tuesday that its elections division received a suspicious package the previous day. The office said the package was picked up by the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security for testing.
Although the Maine Secretary of State’s Office had initially confirmed that a suspicious piece of mail addressed to Secretary of State Shenna Bellows (D) was intercepted by U.S. Postal Service workers on Tuesday, office spokesperson Emily Cook later said that no suspicious letter had been intercepted but the investigation was ongoing.
Several other states confirmed receiving similar suspicious mail earlier this week.
In Wyoming, the secretary of state’s office immediately contacted law enforcement and the office was evacuated after a white substance arrived in the mail.
“We take this very seriously,” Secretary of State Chuck Gray (R) said in a statement. “We will continue to work with law enforcement in monitoring this situation.”
An envelope identified Monday morning as suspicious by the Nebraska Secretary of State Elections Division “was isolated in a separate area in our office in accordance with established protocol,” according to a news release from Nebraska Secretary of State Robert Evnen (R). A substance in the envelope was identified and found to be nonhazardous.
A government building in Topeka, Kan., was evacuated Monday due to suspicious mail, the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed.
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R) confirmed that his office received a suspicious package Monday and immediately reported the incident. Pate said first responders determined there was no threat to staff or the public.
Tennessee’s Division of Elections “received a suspicious envelope containing a powder” Monday, according to Doug Kufner, communications director for Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R). The substance tested negative for hazardous materials.
The Oklahoma State Election Board also received a suspicious envelope in the mail Monday which contained “a multi-page document and a white, powder substance,” Misha Mohr, a public information officer for the board, said in a statement. The substance was later identified as flour.
The National Association of Secretaries of State, a nonpartisan organization, condemned the wave of suspicious mail targeting election officials.
“With less than 50 days until the November 5, 2024 general election, we are seeing a disturbing trend continue — the second assassination attempt of a presidential candidate, and threatening and intimidating actions towards election officials. We are thankful our colleagues and their staff members are safe. We are also extremely grateful for the work of law enforcement in expertly handling these incidents,” the organization said in a statement. “This must stop, period. Our democracy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.”
