DOVER, Del. – Federal agencies are investigating after several congressional and state election offices across the country received mail containing suspicious substances, according to officials.
The Delaware State Election Commissioner’s Office was evacuated and temporarily relocated after an employee opened an envelope with a white powder Thursday afternoon.
Precautions taken in Delaware and nationwide
What we know:
Law enforcement officials are investigating letters with suspicious substances sent to offices nationwide, urging recipients to treat such mail as potentially hazardous, according to the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police.
The FBI has taken over the Delaware investigation, and the State Election Commissioner’s Office building has been closed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Affected staff in Delaware were decontaminated and evacuated, and the envelope was isolated.
In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate, though the House is monitoring the situation, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Timeline:
On Thursday, October 15, at about 2:00 p.m., an employee in the Delaware State Election Commissioner’s Office received and opened an envelope with an unknown white powder.
All offices of the Delaware Department of Elections have since resumed normal operations, with the Commissioner’s Office now working out of the Kent County Office at 100 Enterprise Place, Suite 5, Dover.
Public meetings, absentee ballot processing, and election testing are proceeding as planned. Early voting in Delaware is scheduled to begin Thursday, October 22.
Wave of suspicious mailings triggers national response
Election offices in multiple states, from Idaho to Florida, have reported receiving or having intercepted similar suspicious mailings. At least three U.S. senators—Lisa Blunt Rochester, Alex Padilla, and Kirsten Gillibrand—were targeted, according to statements from their offices.
Packages containing powdery substances led to evacuations in Louisiana and Oklahoma.
What they’re saying:
“Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” said the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors in a joint statement.
“Any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable,” said Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue.
What we don’t know:
Officials have not confirmed the identities or motives of those responsible for the mailings.
Testing of some substances continues, and authorities have not publicly shared if any hazardous materials have been found in Delaware.
The Source: This article contains information from the Associated Press, a statement by the Delaware Department of Elections, and statements from the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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