SOUTHWEST Fla. — Suspicious letters filled with white powder are targeting election offices across the country. Two of those letters contained fentanyl and were sent to a total of four states. The scare is so serious it’s changing the way Southwest Florida election offices open mail.
Election workers are on the lookout for concerning letters like the one that was laced with fentanyl and sent to a Washington state election office.
Ilianette Feliciano is someone who opens the mail in Lee County and said the threat makes opening the mail feel like there is something to be scared of.
Although fentanyl is only fatal when the illegal drug is purposely ingested, so far, four other states received similar letters with white powder.
Kim McKown also helps open the mail and said that when she hears about white powder, she thinks of the anthrax scare.
“I’m like, ‘here we go again with that,’” she noted.
McKown is referring to the 2001 anthrax scares, which followed the 9-11 attacks. The scares killed five Americans in the worst biological attacks in U.S. history.
The suspicious letters currently being sent also warned that ballot drop boxes could contain dangerous chemicals.
“What if it just flew all over me, all over my clothes? I wouldn’t know what to do,” Feliciano said as she carefully opened each letter.
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Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle instituted some new policies, all in an effort to keep his employees safe while opening mail.
For the foreseeable future, Doyle is requiring gloves and masks to handle all mail coming into this office.
“I think every supervisor in Florida is taking steps to be cautious about opening our mail,” Doyle noted.
Both Charlotte and Collier counties confirmed they are taking similar safety measures to protect employees.
However, masks and gloves are optional in Collier County.
Both the FBI and U.S. Postal Service are investigating five cases of suspicious powder sent to election workers.
“That is definitely terrifying to think of,” Feliciano concluded.