Suspicious letters trigger FBI probe at election offices as USPS races to deliver Midterm ballots on time
WASHINGTON,DC: A series of suspicious mailings has put congressional offices and election administrators on alert, with federal investigators examining letters containing unidentified substances and working to track down those behind responsible.
The concern comes just weeks before the November 3 Midterm Elections, with packages containing powdery material prompting evacuations at election offices.
The incidents come as state election offices prepare for the midterms and the US Postal Service (USPS) gets ready to deliver millions of ballots within local election deadlines.
Suspicious mailings put election offices on alert
A warning circulated among Senate offices by the Senate Sergeant at Arms, according to an Associated Press report published Thursday, October 15, said authorities were working to intercept additional suspicious letters before they reached their recipients.
Officials acknowledged that some letters could still reach their destinations despite those efforts.
The FBI said the mailings had been sent to addresses across the country, including state secretaries of state and their related election offices.
The bureau confirmed that some letters contained an unknown substance and said investigators were working with other agencies to trace those responsible.
The suspicious packages have already triggered evacuations at election offices in Louisiana and Oklahoma after powdery material was discovered in mail received earlier this week.
In Ohio, the secretary of state’s office also reported that postal inspectors had intercepted a package containing white powder addressed to the office.
The office also flagged reports of similar mailings targeting election officials in other states.
Law enforcement officials are treating the mailings as a potential safety threat as they continue to investigate and work to prevent further deliveries.
USPS chief claims agency is 'ready'
Against the backdrop of the investigation, USPS is also preparing for a surge in election mail as November 3 approaches.
Postmaster General David Steiner said Thursday the agency had mobilized for the coming weeks.
“Everybody is engaged and absolutely ready for the next two weeks,” Steiner said.
USPS will begin its election-specific operations on October 24, with measures designed to keep ballots moving through the system.
Some facilities will stay open longer, while postal teams will arrange dedicated ballot pickups, make additional deliveries, and speed up processing.
Steiner said local offices could use alternative arrangements instead of following standard processing steps when necessary to get ballots to election officials before their deadlines.
The preparations come as the agency navigates a separate legal dispute over mail-voting requirements introduced following President Donald Trump’s March executive order.
The rules covered envelope specifications and required election officials to submit voter information through a USPS system.
In September, the Supreme Court declined to allow the new requirements to take effect, leaving in place a lower-court injunction that blocked their enforcement while legal challenges continued. The ruling left the Postal Service preparing for the midterms without implementing the disputed rules.
