本周，俄亥俄州、路易斯安那州和俄克拉荷马州的州务卿办公室收到了装有神秘粉末的包裹，就在这些办公室即将监督中期选举的几周前。俄克拉荷马州和路易斯安那州报告称收到了这些信封，而俄亥俄州表示美国邮政服务调查人员拦截了一件寄往该州的包裹。代表州务卿和州选举主管的全国性组织在周三的一封信中表达了对这些可疑信件的担忧。
Secretaries of state’s offices in Ohio, Louisiana and Oklahoma were sent packages this week with mysterious powders, just weeks before the offices are set to oversee the midterm elections. Oklahoma and Louisiana reported receiving the envelopes, while Ohio said U.S. Postal Service investigators intercepted a package destined for it. The national groups representing secretaries of state and state election directors expressed concern about the suspicious letters in a letter Wednesday.
“正如我们过去每次所声明的那样，针对选举官员和工作人员的威胁在我们的民主中没有立足之地。负责管理选举的人在履行其基本职责时，永远不应担心自身安全，”全国州务卿协会和全国州选举主管协会在一份联合声明中表示。“选举官员高度重视这些事项，并与执法部门和安全合作伙伴密切合作，以保护其人员和设施，”声明补充道。
“As we have each stated in the past, threats against election officials and workers have no place in our democracy. Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors said in a joint statement. “Election officials take these matters seriously and work closely with law enforcement and security partners to protect their personnel and facilities,” the statement added.
俄亥俄州州务卿弗兰克·拉罗斯周三也表达了同样的观点，即选举官员“在履行职责时永远不应担心自身人身安全”，并补充说，他的办公室正在与州和联邦执法部门合作，针对针对其办公室的邮寄事件。“幸运的是，美国邮政服务的调查人员提前拦截了该信件的投递，他们正在处理寄送给多个州选举官员的类似邮件，”拉罗斯说，同时感谢邮政服务。
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Wednesday echoed the sentiment that election officials should “never have to fear for their personal safety while performing their duties,” adding that his office was working with state and federal law enforcement following the mailing targeting it. “Fortunately, delivery of the letter was preempted by investigators at the U.S. Postal Service, who are dealing with similar mailings sent to election officials in multiple states,” LaRose said, while thanking the Postal Service.
俄亥俄州是少数几个将在几周内迎来激烈选举的州之一。面临较少争议选举的俄克拉荷马州和路易斯安那州的选举机构在周二受到威胁，当时每个州均宣布收到了装有可疑粉末的包裹。“我们想向俄克拉荷马州选民保证，今天的事件不会影响我们开展选举的能力。”
俄克拉荷马州选举委员会秘书保罗·齐里亚克斯在一份声明中说：“选举官员依然致力于确保选举安全、可靠。”
Ohio is one of a few states facing tight elections in just a few weeks. The election bodies of Oklahoma and Louisiana, facing fewer contested elections, were threatened Tuesday, when each state announced it had received packages with suspicious powders. “We want to assure Oklahoma voters that today’s incident does not impact our ability to conduct elections. Election officials remain committed to ensuring safe and secure elections,” Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said in a statement.
路易斯安那州州务卿发言人特雷·威廉姆斯周三在一封电子邮件中说，该办公室选举处的一名员工打开一个装有白色粉末的包裹后，被送往急诊室“作为预防措施”，未受伤害。威廉姆斯补充说，执法部门未发现“有害物质”的证据。“周二的事件没有影响为即将到来的选举做准备的任何选举业务，”威廉姆斯说。
Louisiana Secretary of State spokesperson Trey Williams said in an email Wednesday that an employee in the office’s Election Division opened a package containing a white powder and was taken uninjured to the emergency room “as a precaution.”Williams added that law enforcement did not find evidence of “harmful substances.”“Tuesday’s event did not impact any election operations in preparation for the upcoming election,” Williams said.
路易斯安那州警察局在一份声明中说，该局响应了关于在州务卿办公室的一个包裹中发现白色粉末状物质的报告。“州警正与联邦调查局合作鉴定该物质，该物质已成功回收并送交联邦调查局犯罪实验室进行检测。没有员工报告与该事件有关的受伤或不良健康影响，”州警发言人雅各布·普舍在一份电邮声明中说。
Louisiana State Police said in a statement that it responded to reports of a white powdery substance found in a package at the secretary of state’s office. “LSP is working with the FBI to identify the substance, which was successfully recovered and submitted for testing at the FBI’s crime lab. No employees have reported injuries or adverse health effects related to the incident,” state police spokesperson Jacob Pucheu said in an emailed statement.
NBC附属台、什里夫波特的KTAL电视台周二报道说，巴吞鲁日的这栋大楼曾被疏散。联邦调查局在一封电子邮件中拒绝确认具体事件或地点。该局在一份声明中说，它和邮政部门正在“调查一系列寄往全国各地不同地址的可疑邮件，包括州务卿办公室及其相关选举办公室”。“一些信件含有未知物质，我们正与执法合作伙伴密切合作，对每起事件作出反应。我们也在与合作伙伴合作，确定寄送这些信件的个人或个人，”联邦调查局全国新闻办公室说。
NBC affiliate KTAL of Shreveport reported Tuesday that the Baton Rouge building was evacuated. The FBI declined in an email to confirm specific instances or locations. The agency said in a statement that it and the Postal Service were “investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices.”“Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident. We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters,” the FBI’s national press office said.
这并非各州选举官员首次在临近选举时面临威胁。2024年，至少20个州成为含有可疑粉末信件的攻击目标。
It is not the first time that states’ election officials have faced threats near an election. In 2024, at least 20 states were targeted with letters containing suspicious powders.
在犹他州的一次事件中，一份装有可疑粉末的邮件被拦截，信件上署名为所谓的“美国叛徒消灭军”。这些邮件促使包括司法部在内的多个机构发布了关于保护人员免受危险物质伤害的指南。
In one instance in Utah, a mailing with a suspicious powder was intercepted, with a letter signed by a so-called United States Traitor Elimination Army. The mailings prompted several agencies, including the Justice Department, to release guidance about protecting personnel against hazardous materials.