Politics
Suspicious mail intercepted en route to Washington elections division
Law enforcement intercepted a letter containing an unidentified white powder addressed to the Washington Secretary of State’s elections division on Thursday. State officials are coordinating with federal investigators and alerting election workers.
A letter containing an unidentified white powder and addressed to the Washington Secretary of State’s elections division was intercepted by law enforcement Thursday afternoon, the Secretary of State’s office said.
The office is working with the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to keep Washington election workers informed. The substance had not been identified in the office’s statement, and officials did not report any injuries.
“An attack on elections officials or candidates is an attack on our democracy,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a social media post.
The incident comes after several Washington elections offices received letters containing white powder and traces of fentanyl in 2023. Those mailings prompted evacuations and disrupted vote counting, though election workers and law enforcement were not harmed. Investigators did not establish a clear motive.
The FBI has said it and the Postal Inspection Service are investigating suspicious mailings sent to addresses nationwide, including state secretaries of state and related election offices. The latest intercepted letter adds to security concerns for election staff, who play a central role in administering voting and counting ballots.