SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Letters containing fentanyl to election offices in at least five states this past week have put Utah offices on alert.
Election offices in Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington all reported receiving letters containing fentanyl. An auditor’s office in Tacoma, Washington released images of the letter it received, showing it read in part, “End elections now,” according to the Associated Press.
Sandra Barker, a spokesperson for the FBI Salt Lake City regional office, told ABC4 there hasn’t been any such report in Utah, but said law enforcement is working to keep the public safe.
“The public can be assured that law enforcement will continue to keep the public’s safety as its top priority,” said Barker. “The FBI would also like to remind everyone to exercise care in handling mail, especially from unrecognized senders. If you see something suspicious, please contact law enforcement immediately.”
Utah’s Lt. Governor, Deidre Henderson, condemned the rash of suspicious letters being sent across the country. She encouraged county clerks and election officials across Utah to follow safety practices and emphasized Barker’s request to report anything suspicious immediately.
“Free and fair elections are a pillar of democracy. Political violence in any form will not be tolerated,” said Henderson. “Perpetrators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Henderson said she agreed with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) who called the letters an “act of domestic terrorism.”
Utah is one of the few states that did not hold elections on Tuesday, Nov. 7. The elections in the Beehive State were pushed back by two weeks to Nov. 21 to accommodate for the special election to replace Rep. Chris Stewart (R-District 2), who stepped down in September.
Early voting for Utah’s 2023 general election has already begun. Henderson’s office said most ballots will be cast by mail.