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WA election office targeted with suspicious powder ahead of November elections
Law enforcement intercepted a letter containing white powder addressed to the Washington Secretary of State's elections division, which appears to be part of a nationwide investigation by federal authorities into suspicious mailings targeting election offices.
SEATTLE - Law enforcement intercepted a letter containing white powder addressed to the Washington Secretary of State's elections division, which appears to be part of a nationwide investigation by federal authorities into suspicious mailings targeting election offices.
Suspicious white powder mailed to WA elections office
Big picture view:
The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are examining a series of mailings that include Secretaries of State offices across the country. While the FBI did not confirm specific individual reports, federal agencies are working together to investigate the mailings.
Local perspective:
The Washington Secretary of State's Office confirmed the threat in a social media statement following the interception.
"Thursday afternoon, we learned that law enforcement intercepted a letter containing white powder addressed to the Washington Secretary of State's elections division. We are working closely with law enforcement to keep Washington election workers and voters safe and informed," the office posted on X.
Authorities have not disclosed where law enforcement intercepted the envelope or its intended specific destination facility.
Dig deeper:
In a separate incident in downtown Seattle, emergency crews with the Seattle Fire Department responded to the Federal Building on Thursday as well after a mailing containing white powder arrived there.
Despite the threat, several county election offices across Washington state told FOX 13 on Friday that operations are continuing as planned, and they have not received any suspicious mail.
What they're saying:
"This is something that we and election administrators all across the country have been preparing for all year," said Kendall Hodson, chief of staff for King County Elections. "I think certainly folks who are dealing with this right now, they are in our hearts and minds as elections administrators, this office had something similar happen in 2023 where we evacuated, so I think the good news is folks are more prepared to deal with this than they ever have been before."
The backstory:
King County election personnel received a letter containing traces of fentanyl three years ago while actively processing ballots. During the same year, the Okanogan County Auditor's Office received an envelope containing an unidentified substance, triggering an evacuation of the county courthouse.
Hodson said their staff have spent the year preparing for potential hazards, including suspicious packages. She reassured voters the process will be safe and not be disrupted ahead of November's election but encouraged everyone to turn in their ballots early either by mail or at their nearest ballot box location.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs strongly condemned threats directed at election administrators and expressed support for ongoing federal inquiries.
"An attack on election officials or candidates is an attack on our democracy," Hobbs said in a statement shared on X. "I thank our federal partners who are doing everything they can to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice."
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Shawn Chitnis.
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