SEATTLE -- The suspicious letters sent to vote centers and government buildings in six states this month were undeniably scary, some containing traces of fentanyl or white powder, accompanied by not-so-veiled threats and dubious political symbols.
Hearkening back to the anthrax attacks that killed five people in 2001, the mailings are prompting elections officials already frustrated with ongoing harassment and threats to reach out to local police, fire and health departments for help stocking up on the overdose-reversal medication naloxone.
Even if there is little risk from incidental contact with the synthetic opioid, having the antidote on hand is not a bad idea amid an addiction epidemic that is killing more than 100,000 people in the United States every year -- and it can provide some assurance for stressed ballot workers, election managers say.
"My team is usually in the direct fire just because we're opening up thousands of millions of ballots, depending on the election," said Eldon Miller, who leads the ballot-opening staff at King County Elections in Seattle, which stocked up on naloxone after receiving a fentanyl-laced letter in August. "I always say to my team, 'Your safety is my utmost importance.'"
The letters were sent this month to vote centers or government buildings in six states: Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Kansas. Some were intercepted before they arrived, but others were delivered, prompting evacuations and briefly delaying vote counts in local elections. The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating.
Some of the letters featured an antifascist symbol, a progress pride flag and a pentagram. While the symbols have sometimes been associated with leftist politics, they also have been used by conservative figures to label and to stereotype the left. The sender's political leanings were unclear.
Fentanyl, an opioid that can be 50 times as powerful as the same amount of heroin, is driving an overdose crisis as it is pressed into pills or mixed into other drugs. Briefly touching it cannot cause an overdose, and researchers have found that the risk of fatal overdose from accidental exposure is low, unlike with powdered anthrax that can float in the air and cause deadly infections when inhaled.
Election workers across the country have been besieged by threats, harassment and intimidation since former President Donald Trump and his supporters began spreading false election claims after he lost the 2020 election.
"I hope we encourage people to not hurt election officials," said Anne Dover, the elections director in suburban Atlanta's Cherokee County, which did not receive a suspicious letter. "A lot of people are leaving the field."
Information for this article was contributed by Ken Ritter, Jeff Amy, David Fischer and John Hanna of The Associated Press.
A United States Postal Service flyer about suspicious mail or packages is seen in the mail room at the King County Elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, poses for a portrait in the mail room at elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
The shadow of Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, is seen on a whiteboard in the mail room at elections headquarters as she poses for a portrait, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Ballot opening lead Eldon Miller works at the King County Elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A package of Narcan is pictured at a first aid station at King County Elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking the overdose-reversal nasal spray after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, holds a package of Narcan at elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking the overdose-reversal nasal spray after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, poses for a portrait in the mail room at elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Ballot opening lead Eldon Miller poses for a portrait in front of boxes of processed ballots at the King County Elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections, poses for a portrait in the mail room at elections headquarters, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Renton, Wash. The office began stocking Narcan, the nasal spray version of overdose-reversal drug naloxone, after receiving a letter laced with fentanyl in the summer and was evacuated the day after Election Day after receiving a similar envelope. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)