Election offices in at least six states have received letters containing white powder, prompting investigations by the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Officials are investigating approximately 100 suspicious mailings sent to election administrators this month.
State and local officials are on edge in the lead-up to Election Day as they prepare for potential threats and violence. The source of the suspicious mailings remains unclear. Some election officials attribute the heightened threats to rhetoric surrounding election integrity, citing concerns that claims of voter fraud could incite additional dangers. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes stated that President Donald Trump's rhetoric has exacerbated divisiveness, calling his actions "wholly and completely irresponsible."
"Unfortunately, the president has a very broad reach and his audience takes him very seriously," Fontes said in a CNN interview. "I have personally had colleagues who had their dogs poisoned. My own family has been threatened. I have been threatened."
A White House spokeswoman defended the administration's actions, stating, "No one has done more than President Trump to ensure America has free and fair elections."
More than 100 letters containing a white powdery substance were sent to state and local election sites in October. Officials in Louisiana, Ohio, and Oklahoma reported being targeted. In Louisiana, one state employee was hospitalized as a precaution after opening a letter, leading to the evacuation of the building. More than three dozen congressional offices have also been targeted with similar mailings.
In New York, at least 10 people were exposed to white powder sent to the offices of Democrats Hakeem Jeffries, Ritchie Torres, and Tom Suozzi. Mailings also appeared to target Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, California Democratic Senator Alex Padilla, Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Ted Cruz in Texas.
These threats have prompted election officials to enhance training for staff on preparing for and responding to a growing list of security concerns. The nonpartisan Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE), composed of election officials and law enforcement personnel, is conducting security trainings for state and local election staff. Tina Barton, co-chair of the CSSE, reported leading more than 140 security trainings this year, a significant increase from previous years.
"Demand has substantially increased in the past two years due to the rise of new, sophisticated technologies, as well as an awareness from the law enforcement community that these threats aren't going away," Barton said. The group provides training on emerging threats, de-escalation techniques, and safety measures, including preparing for bomb threats, suspicious packages, and drone use.
A Brennan Center study found that 32 percent of election officials have been threatened, harassed, or abused while performing their duties. Barton recounted a personal experience in 2020 when she received a death threat, which led to the perpetrator's conviction and prison sentence.
Public trust in election results is fragile, with a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll indicating that only six in ten Americans trust election outcomes. A PBS News/Marist survey found that 30 percent of voters believe violence may be necessary to restore the country.
In response to these concerns, some states have increased security at polling locations. Counties in Georgia and Nevada have implemented "panic buttons" at polling sites that can directly alert local sheriffs and emergency dispatchers. In Los Angeles County, election workers are using bomb-sniffing dogs to screen mail. Durham County, North Carolina, has equipped polling sites with bulletproof glass, security cameras, and specialized mail ventilation rooms.
The increase in threats coincides with efforts to assert greater federal control over elections. President Trump has pushed for regulations on mail-in ballots and repeatedly claimed noncitizens are voting illegally, despite studies indicating such instances are rare. The Justice Department has filed lawsuits related to voter rolls in California and has been blocked from examining voter rolls in nine states under its "Unlawful Voting Initiative."
Marc Elias, founder of Democracy Docket, argued that fear-mongering poses a greater threat to elections than isolated instances of voter fraud. "In a nation of 340 million Americans, where you have hundreds of millions of voters voting in each election, a couple of voters or a dozen voters who vote illegally is not changing the outcome of anything," Elias stated.
Barton emphasized that the hostility often impacts everyday election workers. "Unfortunately, some of that rhetoric has been targeted at the election community and the election processes," she said. "And the average election worker is the one that ends up bearing the brunt of this."