TACOMA, Wash. — Elections employees at four Washington state county elections offices evacuated Wednesday after unknown powdery substances were found.
Employees evacuated at King, Pierce, Skagit and Spokane county elections offices.
The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) said it received a call around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday about an employee at the office who was handling an envelope when a white powder fell out of it.
The employee was wearing gloves at the time, according to TPD.
A message inside the envelope that contained the white powder said, "End the election now," according to TPD. Nothing else was written inside the envelope.
The department responded to the office along with the Tacoma Fire Department and Washington State Patrol.
TPD said the white powder was tested and confirmed to be baking powder.
The building was evacuated, and service at the office was delayed for two to three hours, TPD said. The elections office expects to release a smaller amount of election results Wednesday and plans to make up the difference Thursday.
Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement that read, in part:
“Our elections are sacred and the guardianship of democracy begins at the local level in county offices across our state. Any threat to election workers is a threat to the vote itself."
At 10:58 a.m., King County Elections also had fire and hazmat crews respond after a parcel with white powder was found, according to the Renton Police Department. Traces of fentanyl were found in the envelope tested Wednesday, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be assisting local authorities in further investigating the letter.
At least 250 people, including political observers, were evacuated. They have been given the all-clear. The evacuation has caused a "significant disruption" to the ballot processing at King County Elections, according to its communications director.
The substance that was found at King County Elections was mitigated and is not a threat to the workers inside the building.
King County Elections did receive a "suspicious letter" that was confirmed to have contained trace amounts of fentanyl back in August, although it remains unclear if that letter is connected to the white powder found Wednesday.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs released a statement that read:
“The safety of staff and observers is paramount as elections workers across the state open envelopes and count each voter’s ballot. 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.”
No word yet on whether the four incidents in King, Pierce, Spokane and Skagit counties were connected in any way.
No injuries were reported.
Threats like Wednesday’s highlights why State Rep Mari Leavitt proposed a bill last session to better protect election workers.
The proposed legislation would make it a class C felony to threaten an election worker in person or through a letter in the mail. It would be a boost with a law already on the books that makes it a felony to threaten an election worker online.
The legislation would also allow election workers who are harassed to apply for the address confidentiality program, which would give them a substitute mailing address.
“To receive those kinds of threats, is a scary thing for them and their families. And we're losing election workers across our state and across our nation because of it,” Rep Leavitt, (D) District 28.
It passed through the house and got stuck in committee, Leavitt believes it could pass next session.
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