Election officials in more than 15 states have reported being sent suspicious packages containing white powder, prompting a national investigation by the FBI over safety concerns.
As the crucial election period looms, election offices are now on high alert.
Thomas’s office said the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was fist to flag the suspicious envelopes.
“About envelopes containing an unidentified white powder that were sent to and received by elections offices across the country,” her office confirmed.
The state of Ohio was the first to publicly respond to the incident, with Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s office confirming that it had received one of the packages.
In a press release, LaRose stated:
“Fortunately, we were notified by our law enforcement partners to be on the lookout for this package, and we were able to intercept it before it reached our office.”
Fears are now growing about the security of election offices
LaRose added:
“The security of our employees and all election officials across Ohio is a top concern as we enter a critical period in the election cycle.”
The packages were sent to states such as Mississippi, Nebraska, and Wyoming.
Mississippi’s Secretary of State’s Elections Division said the powder found in their office was flour, and there is no indication that the substances may pose any danger.
The Postal Service and federal law enforcement are now working together with heightened alert surrounding threats to election infrastructure.
This follows the safety of political figures and officials such as former President Donald Trump, who has suffered two assassination attempts.
LaRose stated:
“We need to lower the temperature of our political discourse and send a clear, bipartisan message that we resolve our elections in this country with ballots not bullets.”
“We will not be intimidated by threats,” LaRose said.
States that have received similar packages include:
Connecticut
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Tennessee
Wyoming
Alaska
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Missouri
Mississippi
New York
Ohio
Colorado
Iowa
Kansas
Rhode Island
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