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Federal authorities are investigating suspicious letters sent to election offices in five states – Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Georgia.
The FBI said that "in at least four instances, preliminary tests … indicated the presence of fentanyl," according to a bulletin disseminated to state and local law enforcement and obtained by ABC News.
An image of one of the letters obtained by ABC News indicates the intent was to "end elections now."
"We are in charge now and there is no more need for them," the letter reads.
PHOTO: Investigators are probing mysterious letters sent to election offices, including this one. (Pierce County Auditor’s Office)
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a statement Thursday that envelopes containing "unknown powdery substances" were discovered Wednesday by election workers in several counties, prompting evacuations of those offices.
An initial test of a white powdery substance in one envelope that was sent to the county elections office tested positive for fentanyl, the Spokane Police Department said.
Another letter sent to an election office in Washington state had a substance that tested positive for baking soda, not fentanyl, Officer Shelbie Boyd of the Tacoma Police Department told ABC News. The state will take it to a lab for additional testing.
Chris Loftis, the director of communications for Washington State Patrol, said a state bomb squad that responded to an election office in Pierce County on Wednesday found a message advising that the intent of the letter was to "stop the election."
MORE: Voter intimidation, election worker threats part of voting climate ahead of midterms
In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed that election workers in Fulton County were sent a suspicious letter and that no other counties in the state appear to have been targeted.
The letter was intercepted before it arrived at the election office, Raffensperger said at a press conference. No motive has been determined, he said.
PHOTO: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks at a press conference, Nov. 9, 2023, after a letter laced with fentanyl was been sent to the Fulton County Elections Office. (WSB-TV)
"We're working with our state and federal partners to determine if any additional Georgia officials are being targeted," Raffensperger said in a statement earlier. "Domestic terrorists will not trample on our right to free and fair elections."
A Fulton County spokesperson said no additional information was immediately available.
In Lane County, Oregon, officials also temporarily closed an election office on Wednesday after a suspicious piece of mail arrived, a county spokeswoman told ABC News.
"Certainly it's somber today," county spokeswoman Devon Ashbridge told ABC News. "I can't imagine coming to work and realizing that someone at minimum wanted to terrorize you and potentially harm you. We're doing what we can to support our staff."
While the incident in Oregon did not impact any election deadlines, Ashbridge said the office closure did delay ballot counting. The office expects to be caught up by the end of the day.
Officials in California also confirmed Thursday to ABC News that the Postal Service "intercepted two suspicious envelopes headed to local election facilities," but have not yet determined the contents of that mail.
Additionally, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI are investigating a letter containing an unknown substance that was sent to the Attorney General of Texas' office, according to law enforcement. Initial tests on the substance came back negative, officials said Thursday.
Authorities did not say if the letter sent to the Texas AG is connected to the ones from other states.
Federal authorities are investigating suspicious letters sent to election offices in five states – Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Georgia.
The FBI said that "in at least four instances, preliminary tests … indicated the presence of fentanyl," according to a bulletin disseminated to state and local law enforcement and obtained by ABC News.
An image of one of the letters obtained by ABC News indicates the intent was to "end elections now."
"We are in charge now and there is no more need for them," the letter reads.
PHOTO: Investigators are probing mysterious letters sent to election offices, including this one. (Pierce County Auditor’s Office)
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a statement Thursday that envelopes containing "unknown powdery substances" were discovered Wednesday by election workers in several counties, prompting evacuations of those offices.
An initial test of a white powdery substance in one envelope that was sent to the county elections office tested positive for fentanyl, the Spokane Police Department said.
Another letter sent to an election office in Washington state had a substance that tested positive for baking soda, not fentanyl, Officer Shelbie Boyd of the Tacoma Police Department told ABC News. The state will take it to a lab for additional testing.
Chris Loftis, the director of communications for Washington State Patrol, said a state bomb squad that responded to an election office in Pierce County on Wednesday found a message advising that the intent of the letter was to "stop the election."
MORE: Voter intimidation, election worker threats part of voting climate ahead of midterms
In Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed that election workers in Fulton County were sent a suspicious letter and that no other counties in the state appear to have been targeted.
The letter was intercepted before it arrived at the election office, Raffensperger said at a press conference. No motive has been determined, he said.
PHOTO: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks at a press conference, Nov. 9, 2023, after a letter laced with fentanyl was been sent to the Fulton County Elections Office. (WSB-TV)
"We're working with our state and federal partners to determine if any additional Georgia officials are being targeted," Raffensperger said in a statement earlier. "Domestic terrorists will not trample on our right to free and fair elections."
A Fulton County spokesperson said no additional information was immediately available.
In Lane County, Oregon, officials also temporarily closed an election office on Wednesday after a suspicious piece of mail arrived, a county spokeswoman told ABC News.
"Certainly it's somber today," county spokeswoman Devon Ashbridge told ABC News. "I can't imagine coming to work and realizing that someone at minimum wanted to terrorize you and potentially harm you. We're doing what we can to support our staff."
While the incident in Oregon did not impact any election deadlines, Ashbridge said the office closure did delay ballot counting. The office expects to be caught up by the end of the day.
Officials in California also confirmed Thursday to ABC News that the Postal Service "intercepted two suspicious envelopes headed to local election facilities," but have not yet determined the contents of that mail.
Additionally, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI are investigating a letter containing an unknown substance that was sent to the Attorney General of Texas' office, according to law enforcement. Initial tests on the substance came back negative, officials said Thursday.
Authorities did not say if the letter sent to the Texas AG is connected to the ones from other states.
