SPOKANE, Wash — A day after the election, ballot counts at election offices across Washington state stalled after workers found suspicious white powder in envelopes.
The Washington Secretary of State's Office told KREM 2 News offices in Pierce, Skagit, and King counties, along with the office in Spokane County, evacuated due to the hazmat situations.
In Spokane, counts will be delayed until Thursday after police confirmed the powder contained traces of fentanyl.
It was a similar situation at the King County election office in Renton.
"At this point, all ballot processing is paused as our building is clear of all people which means that signatures are being verified ballots are not being scanned in and things are not being tabulated at this time," Halei Watkins with King County Elections told KING 5 News.
Renton Police say that the powder also contained traces of fentanyl.
In Tacoma, the Pierce County elections office temporarily shut down after the powder was found in an envelope along with a note reading 'End the election now.'
"I can't say that I'm surprised just because the day and age that we're in right now we do see a lot of things like this," said Eldon Miller, a King County elections employee.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs office told KREM 2 News the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating. Hobbs released a statement saying this highlights the seriousness of threats against elections workers.
“The safety of staff and observers is paramount as elections workers across the state open envelopes and count each voter’s ballot,” Secretary Hobbs said. “These incidents underscore the critical need for stronger protections for all election workers. Democracy rests upon free and fair elections. These incidents are acts of terrorism to threaten our elections.”
This isn't the first time Washington election officials have received suspicious substances. During the August 1 primary, offices in King County and Okanogan County faced similar situations. An envelope and letter received by King County Elections were turned over to the United States Postal Inspection Service, which found trace amounts of fentanyl. The substance found in the Okanogan County envelope was determined to be unharmful, according to Hobbs' office.
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