The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Postal Inspection Service have begun investigating a series of suspicious packages sent to election officials across at least 17 states. The packages contained an unknown white powdery substance, prompting concerns about potential hazards and causing evacuations in several offices. None of the substances have been deemed hazardous thus far, in one instance, the material was found to be flour.
The packages were sent to election officials across various states, including New York, Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, and Wyoming, among others. In some cases, the packages were intercepted before they reached their destinations. Many of the packages were marked with the name “United States Traitor Elimination Army.” In response, election officials have heightened security and adopted new safety protocols, particularly as the country heads into a high-stakes election season.
The National Association of Secretaries of State condemned these actions as part of a “disturbing trend” of threats toward election workers. In Colorado, Secretary of State Jena Griswold reported that the intercepted package was similar to others received nationwide. In Oklahoma, an envelope containing the powder was sent to the State Election Board, where tests identified the substance as flour. Despite the absence of a real threat, the incident has sparked fears and disrupted operations.
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State, in a recent interview, stated that her office received threats through a variety of media including voicemails, social media posts, emails, and in person. She also noted that the aggression is escalating as it gets closer to the November presidential election.
This is not the first time such incidents have occurred. Last November, similar packages containing substances, some of which tested positive for fentanyl, were sent to election offices in multiple states. This ongoing harassment has pushed election offices to take additional security measures, including training staff to handle potentially hazardous materials.
The packages containing white powder are reminiscent of the 2001 anthrax attacks, in which letters laced with anthrax were mailed across the U.S., killing five and injuring 17. The target of those attacks were several media figures as well as politicians such as U.S. senators.
As authorities work to identify the sender and motive behind these packages, election officials continue to emphasize that threats, violence, and intimidation have no place in the democratic process. The incidents have heightened tensions and security concerns as early voting is already underway in several states ahead of key elections in November.
