SEATTLE (AP) — Four county elections offices in Washington state were evacuated Wednesday after they received envelopes containing suspicious powders — including two that field-tested positive for fentanyl — while workers were processing ballots from Tuesday’s election.
Renton police detective Robert Onishi confirmed that an envelope received by workers at a King County elections office field-tested positive for fentanyl, while Spokane Police Department spokesperson Julie Humphreys said fentanyl was found in an envelope at the Spokane County Elections office, The Seattle Times reported.
Political Cartoons View All 1237 ImagesThe envelope received by the Pierce County elections office in Tacoma contained baking soda, Tacoma police spokesperson William Muse told the paper.
Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, told The Seattle Times the envelope opened by staffers in Renton on Wednesday morning was not a ballot.
The Secretary of State's Office noted that elections officials in two counties — King and Okanogan — received suspicious substances in envelopes during the August primary.
Persons:
Steve Hobbs, ”, Renton, Robert Onishi, Julie Humphreys, William Muse, ” Muse, Halei Watkins, King County, Watkins, Patrick Bell, Okanogan —
Organizations:
SEATTLE, Seattle —, State's, Spokane Police, Seattle Times, ” Voters, King County, Spokane County, Okanogan, United States Postal Inspection Service
Locations:
Washington, King County, Seattle, Skagit , Spokane, Pierce, King, Spokane County, Tacoma, Spokane, Renton, Okanogan