(TheIndependentStar.com) – Even though there have been no reports of injuries or harmful substances found in the suspicious packages sent to election officials in over a dozen states, the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service have launched an investigation.
Recent packages were sent to officials in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, and Rhode Island. Mississippi received a package on Monday, and the FBI alerted Connecticut about an intercepted package yesterday.
FBI spokesperson Kristen Setera from Boston stated that some letters contained “an unknown substance.”
She added, “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…the public can be assured safety is our top priority.”
This is the second time in a year that election officials in multiple states have received suspicious packages.
With early voting underway and major elections just around the corner, the timing has disrupted an already tense political climate. Local election officials are increasing security to protect workers and voting procedures.
Moreover, the National Association of Secretaries of State condemned the “disturbing trend” of threats to election workers and a recent assassination attempt on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump.
In Massachusetts, the FBI alerted state officials about a suspicious package delivered to a building housing state offices. No employees were in contact with the envelope, which is now with the FBI.
Other packages were sent to election offices in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wyoming, forcing evacuations in those states. Hazmat teams determined the substances were harmless.
In addition, Mississippi’s Secretary of State Elections Division said it received a similar package and is working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to test it. They have warned county election officials to be cautious.
In Oklahoma, an envelope containing flour was sent to the election office. “We have specific protocols in place for situations such as this,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said after the evacuation of the Lucas State Office Building.
This is not the first time election offices have faced such threats. Last November, suspicious letters were sent to offices in at least six states, some containing fentanyl, delaying ballot counting.
One of the targeted offices was in Fulton County, Georgia, a key swing state. Several election offices in Washington state had to be evacuated, delaying vote processing.
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