4 Washington election offices evacuated due to ‘suspicious’ envelopes, 2 with Fentanyl.
OAN’s Abril Elfi
6:04 PM – Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Four election offices in Washington state were evacuated after receiving “suspicious” envelopes, including two that reportedly contained fentanyl.
Four county elections offices in Washington were evacuated on Wednesday after receiving envelopes containing white powders. Two of which later tested positive for fentanyl while staff were processing ballots from Tuesday’s election.
According to an emailed news release from the Secretary of State’s Office, the elections offices were located in King County, which includes Seattle, Skagit, Spokane, and Pierce counties.
Officials announced that local, state, and federal agents were all investigating, and no injuries or deaths have been reported.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D-Wash.) called the incidents “acts of terrorism to threaten our elections.”
“These incidents underscore the critical need for stronger protections for all election workers,” he stated.
According to reports, Renton police detective Robert Onishi verified that fentanyl was found in an envelope received by personnel at a King County elections office.
Additionally, Spokane Police Department spokesman Julie Humphreys said that fentanyl was similarly found in an envelope at the Spokane County Elections office as well.
However, according to Tacoma police spokesperson William Muse, the white powder that was found in another envelope by the Pierce County elections office in Tacoma appeared to be baking soda.
Muse also noted that there was a message inside one of the envelope that read, “something to the effect of stopping the election.”
However, “there was no candidate that was identified. There was no religious affiliated group identified. There was no political issue identified. It was just that vague statement,” he continued.
Due to the evacuation’s delays, King County was only able to provide results for 20,000 extra ballots on Wednesday, rather than the projected 50,000.
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What measures are being taken by local, state, and federal agents to ensure the safety of election offices in Washington state following the evacuation due to suspicious envelopes?
Four election offices in Washington state were evacuated after receiving suspicious envelopes, two of which reportedly contained fentanyl. The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, and prompted a swift response from local, state, and federal agents.
According to an email press release from the Secretary of State’s Office, the election offices affected were located in King County, Skagit County, Spokane County, and Pierce County. These envelopes containing white powders were discovered as staff were processing ballots from Tuesday’s election.
Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of fentanyl in two of the envelopes. Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that is responsible for a significant number of overdose deaths in the United States. Renton Police Detective Robert Onishi confirmed the presence of fentanyl in an envelope received by personnel at a King County elections office. Similarly, Spokane Police Department spokesperson Julie Humphreys reported the finding of fentanyl in an envelope at the Spokane County Elections office.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries or deaths as a result of these incidents. However, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D-Wash.) condemned the acts as acts of terrorism aimed to threaten their elections. He emphasized the need for stronger protections for all election workers, stating, “Democracy rests upon free and fair elections.”
The investigation into these incidents is ongoing, with
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